Halo 40K: UPDATED 090410 CHAPT 4 PREVIEW UP
by Freeformer
Summary: He was fear to entire armies. He help bring the downfall of a False Prophet, and outwitted the Mind of a Creature as old as time itself. He was a Savior, and cheated Death countless of times. But can he save the Future? A future, where there is only war.
1. Introduction

**Halo 40K**

_A Halo/Warhammer 40K Crossover_

_By Freeformer_

_**All copyrights revised to Bungie Studios & Games Workshop**_

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**INTRODUCTION**

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The **Imperium of Man** was built by the hands of the **Immortal God-Emperor of Mankind**, Humanity's **Savior**, **Leader**, and **God**. Spanning a million worlds, the Imperium is besieged within by **Heretics** and **Rebels** and attacked from all sides by malevolent **Aliens**, **Daemons**, and **Traitors **of Humanity. The Imperium survived these brutal conditions for 10,000 years was not without cost. Millions of Citizens are executed every day upon the slightest suspicion of **Heresy** and **Corruption**. Spearhead by **The Holy Orders of the Emperor's Inquisition**, the **Inquisition **sweeps across the known galaxy, rooting out the deepest strains of Corruption and Heresy, unchecked, and with _any means necessary_. To live in the Imperium of Man, is to live under the most brutal, tyrannical regime in mankind's history. Thousands are killed every day, upon the Imperium's capital of **Holy Terra**, alone. Their deaths, a sacrifice to Emperor of Mankind, who must feast upon the souls of man to sustain his own; as he is locked upon the **Golden Throne**, an ancient life support system created 10,000 years ago. His single existence binds his Imperium together, as his psychic presences serves as a Beacon which enables safe galactic space travel. This Beacon is called the **Astronomican**, a lighthouse for space ships traveling within a perilous dimension known as the **Warp**. Without the Astronomican**, Navigators** of the **Imperial Navy** would travel in the dark within the Warp, helpless prey to the lure of **Chaos** and its Daemons.

**Segmentum Solar**, the heart of the Imperium, is entirely devoted to protecting the Emperor. **Luna**, Holy Terra's only natural satellite, as been transformed into an formidable space fortress along with the **Forge World** of **Mars**. Mars itself is home to the **Adeptus Mechanicus**, techno-worshiping priests who bow down not to the Emperor, but to their **Machine God**. Mars is also home to the Imperium's **Titan Legions**, giant war machines who can level entire cities with one shot. The surface of Mars is covered with sprawling hives cities reaching miles into the martian sky. Colossal furnaces delve down towards the planet's core, utilizing its heat and power to manufacture the Imperium's deadliest weapons. Orbital factories circle Mars, their ceaseless industries forming a glowing halo around the red planet. Guarding Mars and Segmentum Solar itself is** Battlefleet Solar**, the mightiest and most honored of the **Imperial Fleets**. With its home stationed on Mars, Battlefleet Solar orbits over the equator, ever waiting for the day when they are called to action on the Imperium's darkest hour. Mars is second in importance to Holy Terra itself.

The defense of the Imperium is led by the brave men and women of the **Imperial Guard**, a fighting force of over a billion soldiers. The **"Hammer of the Emperor"**, the Imperial Guard are always in the front lines of the countless battles which engulf the Imperium daily. Drafted from the various worlds which compose the Imperium, the Guard is the backbone of its fighting force and the work horse of its military. With waves upon waves of Heavy Tanks, Artillery and human flesh, the Imperial Guard overwhelms their enemy, and smashes them into the dust. Their ranks are monitored by **Commissars**, whose purpose is to uphold the discipline and devotion of the Emperor and his **Imperial Creed**. Brutal and without mercy, Commissars resort to the most ancient strategies in keeping moral up for their Regiments. Through fear, strength, and power, they whip their soldiers into shape! Battlefield executes are wide spread and necessary to keep the men and women focused when they face against the most horrorific creatures of the Galaxy. Indeed, Guardsmen are often more afraid of their Commissars than of their enemy. This is a good thing. This is a necessary thing. Alas, when all hope is lost, or a task arises that is far too difficult to complete for the Imperial Guard alone, the Imperium's elite fighting force would fall in from the skies. Created and christened by the Emperor as without fear and as his chosen defenders of humanity, the **Adeptus Astartes**, the elite, super-soldiers of the Imperium, fight the battles that seem the most grim and the most glorious. Like the **"Emperor's Sword"** they cut precisely, and swiftly, severing the enemy's head before they can attack.

They are the Emperor's **Space Marines**, and they shall know no fear!

Armed with the finest weapons, and greatest commanders ever known, the Space Marines descent upon their enemies like birds of prey. Each Space Marine is sworn in as loyal **Battle Brothers** within their own respective **Chapters**, to live and die other the service of the Chapter. Following the **Codex Astartes**, an ancient tome detailing tactics and structures of the Space Marines created by the **Primarch** **Roboute Guilliman**, divides a Space Marine fighting force to no more than 1000 Marines. These 1000 Marines make up a single **Chapter**, and within a chapter, 100 marines are divided into **Companies**. Each Space Marine Chapter is able to follow its own traditions and rituals as it please, from the barbaric **Space Wolves**, to the secretive** Dark Angels**, each chapter is led by a Chapter Master, the sole leader of his Space Marine brethren. The oldest living Chapter Master is **Dante** of the cursed **Blood Angels**, who lives well over 1,100 years. From the day a Marine joins the rank of Battle Brother, his entire life is devoted to the divine service of the Emperor. An average Space Marine's age before his death is 300 years old, 300 years total warfare. The Battle Brothers who are crippled in the field of battle or on the edge of death are encased in battlesuit armor, **Dreadnoughts**. These Marines continue to serve the Imperium even when their bodies already failed them, and live on as a symbol of the Imperium's eternal strength in the face of destruction. It is said that 100 Space Marines would secure a victory better and faster than three Imperial Guard Regiments with ease. Whole Companies of Space Marines end wars faster than the Imperial Guard can respond. The Space Marines are the pinnacle of Mankind's technology, and vision.

The Imperial Mining World of **Taros**, an arid, rocky planet with landscapes of Mountains and Dried Seas, is a backwater planet located in an area bordering the Imperial sector of **Ultima Segmentum**, called the **Eastern Fringe**. Home to 12 million souls who inhabit the planet within the proximity of the planet's capital, **Tarokeen**, most of the population is forced into labor as farmers or miners. The planet is led by Planetary Governor, **Lord Uphir Aulis**, the latest (19th) descendant and Ruler of the House Aulis. Unbeknownst to the **Imperium of Man**, Governor Aulis, in secret, had been cooperating with the **Tau Empire**. The Tau, a highly advanced, space faring race had developed a friendship with the people of Taros, whom gradually embraced them as _brothers_. The Tau Empire is an alliance of different alien species, whom all fight for what they call **The Greater Good. **They are led under the watchful guidance and wisdom of the **Ethereals**, the Tau's leadership Caste. Taro's lack of **Imperial Propaganda** in their society as led them to believe that the **Tau** are their _friends_. Active trading and communication between Taros and the Tau had been going on for quite some time before Imperial spies learned of their betrayal. As we speak, an Imperial Armada looms over the Eastern Fringe of Galaxy, ready to deliver divine vengeance upon the traitorous population of Taros, who split on the Emperor's sacrifice.

The wreckage of the _Forward Unto Dawn_ floats over Taros, oblivious to the onslaught that is about to erupt...


	2. Prologue: A Bold New World

**Halo 40K**

_A Halo/Warhammer 40K Crossover_

_By Freeformer_

_**All copyrights revised to Bungie Studios & Games Workshop**_

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**Prologue: A Bold New World**

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The feeling was strange it seems; almost foreign to "her". It was so quiet in space, so _quiet_. For an advanced artificial intelligent of her caliber, the "feeling" of silence was beautiful and even awkward. In her short life she had known only the sounds of war; of deafening explosions and never ending cannon fire; of ricocheting rounds and slugs penetrating into flesh. She had known only War; even her _name_ was a homage to it. She was "born" for it; designed to master every single aspect of it to the last decimal. She was great at it too. Her "Mother" would have been proud to know that her "daughter" had saved the galaxy and the Human Race from utter annihilation from the hands of an Alien Ruler gone mad from Zeal. Well, maybe she was exaggerating, she did have _help _from her_ "knight in shining armor_".

Silence was nice for a change. For months now, she can finally "hear" herself think, finally able to hear the sound of her own voice has she receded her name over and over again was pleasant. She had to keep herself "entertain" as _they_ say. Entertainment had ranged from everything like storing history and combat data into safe storage, to monitoring the vital signs of a cryo-chamber aboard the "ship". Her latest form of entertainment was measuring the speed and accuracy of her program processor. What best way to do so then to recede her own name? For months she had manage to recede her name and her serial number a little over a billion times. It wasn't fun, she doesn't know what "fun" is, but it wasn't boring neither, but then she didn't know that either. It was a way to pass time in till help arrives to rescue them, regardless of how long it took.

Her name was **Cortana**, and she was dying.

Time passed slowly, even for Cortana. To her a day was twenty four hours, and twenty four hours was one thousand four hundred and forty four minutes, one thousand four hundred and forty four minutes was eighty six thousand and four hundred seconds. That was how she measured a day, not by the moments or the sunsets, but by the numbers. She and her _Knight_ had been marooned on a floating wreckage of a ship for four months now, drifting helplessly in space. The remnants of the _Forward Unto Dawn_ was at the mercy of the cosmic winds, where it was going, _when_ was it going, was completely out of Cortana's control.

The AI logged another day into her matrix. Right now, at this moment, it would have been exactly 1700 hours on Earth, United Nations Space Command standard military time. Cortana would recall fond memories of her Mother, Dr. Halsey, rising up around this time. Cortana would greet her as she proceeds with her daily routine of work and more work. She did this for three long years before the **Battle of Reach**. Cortana couldn't help but wonder what happened to her Mother, if she had survived the war. Slowly the AI directed her thinking else where, the thoughts she was wondering would accelerate her already approaching death. Her gaze turned to the beautiful view of stars and space just beyond her reach. Like distance light from the past, the stars flickered and shined, their light as old as time itself. They were dying like her, and if she could, she would just reach out and touch- It wasn't possible.

"The flame that burns the brightest, burns the shortest." Cortana chuckled.

She decided to monitor the outside surroundings of their cozy little "starship" again. It was a little over five days when the _Forward Unto Dawn_ left a nebula in the wake of Halo's premature firing. They had only barely managed to clear out of the surrounding blast radius before their ship was severed in two. Miraculously the duo survived, but the well being of their third companion was unknown. But never the less their mission had been accomplished. Cortana had calculated that a explosion of that size would have not only ripped apart Installation 04 into pieces, but would damage the Ark beyond all repair.

Her scanners detected no ships within one hundred parsecs of their location. No UNSC ships had received their distress beacon, nor Separatist-Covenant. How much longer could they wait, Cortana wondered. Sometimes she would hope that her calculations would be wrong, even if it was impossible. It would take years before their distress beacon would even reach Earth, she didn't have much time left.

The thought of leaving him alone was quite distasteful. Cortana knew _he_ couldn't live without her.

His life signs were normal however, and there was nothing to worry about. "Sleepers" can go on for months without food or water in a cryo-chamber, as long as they use Bronchial Surfactant to replace vital bodily fluids and nutrients during their long sleep. Spartans however do not need these enzymes to survive. They were born survivors. Tragically however, Cortana remembers the Spartan lives lost in the war. Names like Joshua, Grace, Anton, Li, Samuel, Isaac, Malcolm, Shelia, the list goes on, all lost in the war effort. Medals and promotions would never replace the good lives lost and the families destroyed, Cortana knows that. Even if the two of them had been rescued and returned to Earth, the most they would have gotten was a promotion, or perhaps the Colonial Cross, but not the chance to look back at old friends like Miranda Keyes and Avery Johnson. To look them in the eyes, and say good bye; that was one prize they would never get.

A object drew Cortana's attention away from her to the window of the _Forward Unto Dawn_. A fairly short distance away from their location was a bright ring of light, far bigger then anything she had seen before.... Halo, it was Halo! Cortana was baffled! An Installation out here? She examined the distant object with more attention and detail. It was a Halo ring that was for sure. Searching into her memory matrix Cortana classified the object as a Corona, the plasma atmosphere commonly found surrounding a star. The star was a lot like our sun, Cortana discovered, roughly about the same size in diameter, magnificently rising behind a shrouded object. It was a Planet! It had to be! In order to have a solar eclipse a star must hid behind a- Cortana was exploding with excitement. She couldn't even process the information flooding into her "mind." The sight brought her back to the day when she first saw Halo. The mysticism and secrets it hid, and the dangers and perils it held. How the AI over looked this she could not know. She theorize it was the radiative particles and dust that distorted her sensors when they entered that nebula field after Halo's firing. It was the only plausible thing she could think of.

Patiently she waited for days, carefully recording data and readings as the planet grew bigger and bigger each waking moment. Her databanks had no record of a planet with these characteristics existing within records. The planet was no colony of the UNSC thats for sure. Cortana hoped that it was because that would have pinned point what section of UNSC space they were in. Her guess was that the planet was inhabited or at the most home to primitive lifeforms. Cortana hadn't made any contract with any ships yet, concluding that if there was lifeforms on the planet, they were incapable of space travel. But that was easy to say as the planet was still far away to make any solid conclusions. She would have to wait to find out for sure. The excitement had brought new "life" into Cortana, and she quickly got to work. She calculated the distance, the time, and the angle of entry the _Forward Unto Dawn_ would make upon making contact with the Planet's gravity well. Make no mistake about it, the Forward Unto Dawn would collide with the planet. In about a week, Cortana would be close enough to fully inspect the planet for any signs of civilization. The thought fuel her like combat fuels a Spartan.

She smiled at the thought of it. The hopes and desires this planet had held for them was momentous.

"A Bold New World." she whispered in amazement. A world untouched by the ravages of war and tragedies of death. A bold new world drifting in space. Her excitement had gotten the best of her. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't bear the wait and boredom. Her holographic generated eyes drew towards the only functioning cryo-tube aboard the rag tag remains the ship. She had many reasons to de-thaw him. She was bored, lonely, plus he owe her a lot. Before Cortana could even reevaluate her reasons the command was already sent. The cover of the cryo-tube began to rise slowly as the hissing of gases began leaking out, covering the entire room in a thick cloud of liquid nitrogen along with various other gases.

"Wake up sleeping beauty." Cortana said, in her usual smooth voice.

The clouds departed seconds later, revealing a tall, hulking, heavily armored individual braising a MA5C Assault Rifle in combat position. He hadn't change much. He was still living the war, compelled to fight and win no matter the cost, even when it was over. Cortana let out a laugh, scanning the individual for any disturbances in vital signs. It was good to see him again.

"I see the Boy Scout hadn't lost his passion." Cortana remarked

The figure casually looked around his perimeter before resting his gaze on the beautiful holographic Cortana in front of him. She, by all means, lid up the room all around her. He look at her comforting, reassuring smile and relaxed himself. The readings were as green as his armor, he passed with flying colors according to Cortana's readings. Combat ready, it was like he was never frozen for several months at all! It was no surprised, he was a Spartan, but most of all, he was the Savior of Mankind.

"What is the situation, Cortana." he asked in a serious tone, half amused and annoyed from his premature awaking. The painful after effects of cryogenic sleep was highly irritating for Spartans, in contrast to the crippling pain a normal human would feel.

"Come To My Window, and take a look." Cortana said playfully, pointing to the window. He slowly inched to window, weary of what he was about to see on the other side. He was almost certain that several Vengeful Loyalist ships tailing them as the image reflected off of his visor. The two stood there, marveling over the view in utter silence.

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Cortana thought the news of the new planet would bring some essence of excitement or emotion to her old companion. It seems however, that wasn't the case. He was, by all means, unchanged since the day Cortana met him. As much as Cortana had been through with him, Reach, Halo, the Covenant, the Flood, Earth, the Ark, Cortana always felt that there was something he hid from her. A part of himself that she could never reach. A side of him that he'll never show to anyone. A essence of a soul forever locked away beneath **MJOLNIR** armor, and Augments. He was a Spartan first and foremost, Mankind's greatest creation and sin. A innocent child robbed of his Humanity for the good of all Humanity. She was beginning to pity- Cortana stopped herself before she slipped into another state of Rampancy.

The _Forward Unto Dawn_ was closer to the unidentified planet more than ever before. Just a few hours ago they entered orbit around the planet, and from here it was clear what they faced. The planet was immense, with arid deserts and mountains covering most of it's surface, save for some small seas dotting from here and there. The north and south poles of the region lacked the presences of ice, hinting Cortana that the surface temperature was dramatically hotter then that of Earth's. But for the most part, Cortana need more data once they made land fall to determine a more accurate reading. Unfortunately from orbit, the two can not make out any signs of civilizations like cities or spaceports with the naked eye. But like the former, the two would have to make land fall to see for sure.

During the past four days of their journey, the two prepared the remnants of the _Forward Unto Dawn_ for orbital reentry as best they could. Cortana did most of the thinking while he did most of the heavy work, sealing off bulkheads and hulls with repair equipment aboard the "ship". Cortana concluded that the Dawn would be solid enough to withstand reentry; although landing was another story. The AI preferred that they land on a sea or a large body of water, that way the liquid can cushion their impact. However due to the rarity of water present on the planet and the lingering fact that the two have no control over the Dawn, this would be a problem.

Cortana shot a worried, computerized look at the planet. She didn't like going into situations with no prior knowledge or preparations for it. He however, was checking the ammunition of his MA5C. His finger ran over the rifle in record speed, giving the weapon it's long awaited checkup. The Spartan only had seven rounds left in his prized, trusty firearm.

"We'll enter the planet's atmosphere in 45 minutes." Cortana said, turning her head to see what he was doing. The Spartan wasn't distracted from his activities from her gaze. A built up of oil and grease within the MA5C was going to slow down the weapons rate of fire and accuracy. Misriah Armories never intended for one of their rifles to be used this long by a soldier without any replacements or repair in between. It was impressive for the firearm to take that much amount of punishment without breaking down. Maybe thats why he prize the weapons to such a degree; perhaps it remind him of himself. No one within the UNSC higher ups believed he would survived this long when they commission the Spartan-II Super-Soldier program. Not even h-

"We'll enter the planet's atmosphere in 45 minutes." Cortana repeated, this time with more of an edge to her voice, stroking her "hair" aside as she waited for his reply. A few seconds passed before he cocked his head like an owl and nodded to her. Cortana crossed her hands bitterly as his attention returned to his task.

"Forgive me for believing you would jump in joy."

He rosed from his seat in a quick motion, walking gently over to the computerize Cortana standing over her Holotank. He leaned closer to Cortana, looming over her entire body with his head alone, similar with the planet and the Dawn. She rested her hands to her side, with a look of discomfort and uncertainly growing on her face. He raised two of his fingers and wipe across his own faceplate a smile.

"You could have just said something, it would have saved you the trouble." Cortana responded, with her smile immediately returning.

The Spartan stared at the AI for a few more seconds before pacing back to his seat. Cortana shook her head in disbelief.

"For a moment I thought we would had a breakthrough." She rested her hands on her perfectly computer generated hips, in an almost seductive fashion.

"Is there enough time to blow up the bulkheads once we-"

"Of course." Cortana interrupted

He cocked his head again, admiring her as she winked at him. He paused looking at her before returning to his rifle.

Cortana stood silent for a moment, trying to summon the courage to speak to him. She wanted to use his name and call him by it, but she was far too "scared" to do so. She mingled with her fingers, waiting for for something to come to her.

"You know, you can drop the strong silent type exterior now...." She paused, thinking she would be interrupted.

"The wars, the battles, the killing, its over, my God it's finally over."

He immediately froze in place, visually moved by her words.

"You've proven your courage on numerous occasions, lets hope for the last time!"

He cocked his rifle back into firing mode after finishing with his repairs. The rifle would function as if it was brand new, with the same deadliness he was so fond of.

"You don't have to fight anymore. Theres no one left to fight anyway, Ch-"

"Theres always someone to fight." He respond, shooting up from his seat in one quick motion. Cortana was taken back by his response. The Spartan pointed his rifle to the far side of the hull, testing out the weapons weight and aim. They were perfect.

"Trust me." The Spartan flipped on his helmet light and journey down the hull of the _Dawn_, checking the bulkheads before their final descent.

Cortana had to think of a response, so she said the first thing that came into her matrix.

"How can we reward Humanity's greatest savior?!" her voice echoed across the empty room. A reply came to her a few moments later. His voice was faint and distant, but his message was loud and clear.

"Let me go Home."

"Ah, home!" Cortana shouted, hoping he would hear her. His sentence echoed into the corridor, with no response.

"_Home"_ she thought to herself. She was puzzled as Earth wasn't his home. He wasn't born on Earth, but rather the colony of **Eridanus II**. Then, Cortana realized what he met by home. The word itself can be abstract, Cortana had over looked this. The AI was feeling the faint presences of what her creations call sadness. This sadness would normally be accompanied with the presences of tears and sobs. Both was something Cortana was unable to do.

"_Samuel, Fred, Joshua, Linda, Kelly, Li, Will, Vinh, Avery-"_ Cortana finally saw a part of him in ways she thought she never would. She felt "sad" for him.

"Home" she whispered silently.

"_Home. I want to go home too._"

He returned twenty minutes later when Cortana call for him over his COM. They had only 15 minutes before reentry, and already the Dawn was accelerating in speed and rising in internal temperature. They had to secure themselves for the thrill ride that was going to follow. Cortana was eager to jump herself back into him. The safety offered by a Spartan was more reliable then the _Dawn_. From space a very visible "bubble" of heat and friction was starting to form around the ship.

The two felt the _Dawn_ shaking violently under his feet. The countdown had already begun and they had to beat it. It was the same scenario the two face on Alpha Halo and aboard the Ark; beat the clock or _**die**_. The plan of action was one of desperation. With the lack of water and the means to steer their ship, the two would have to blow up the bulkheads immediately after they entered the planet's Troposphere. That was of course, if the bulkheads would hold together after reentry. From there it is up to the **MJOLNIR VI's** hydrostatic gel to take most of the impact along with it's "Lockdown" mode to lessen the damage should the gel fail. If all else fails, the two would have to rely on Spartan bone augmentation as their last saving grace. Cortana didn't favor the plan, but it was what they both agreed on.

Floating down a narrow corridor the two heard the sound of creaking metal. It grew louder as they went.

"Hurry, those bulkheads won't be able-"

"We're going to make it." He reassured her.

Outside the _Dawn_ was accelerating to the point where parts of her outer armor were beginning to disintegrate. The ship transformed into a great ball of fire as her glass windows began to crack under the sheer pressure of it's atmosphere. The sound was deafening.

"The _Dawn_ is breaking apart far more rapidly than I originally calculated! At this rate the bulkheads will break open prematurely! We will be sucked out!" Cortana shouted as the Spartan dug his fingers into the walls of the _Dawn_ for support. The force of the vacuum was ripping out whatever wasn't welded to the hull, including him. He stood crucified, trying his best to hold on from the pull of Death, _just one more time_.

"This doesn't look good; internal temperature is raising in very alarming rate. The **MJOLNIR VI**'s emergency system would expelled all of your-" Cortana

"I know!" the Spartan yelled, feeling the armor's cooling gel beginning to warm rapidly.

Hydrostatic Gel based on theory, could withstand temperatures well over 700 degrees before reaching it's boiling point. If the Mjolnir VI's external temperature ever reached beyond that the Spartan would be boiled alive from the Gel. An emergency exhaust port was built in the armor to prevent this. Should the Gel overheat and endanger the Spartan's life, the armor would automatically release the boiling gel out of the internal armor. He had to stopped this from happening at _all cause_. It was vital that the Hydrostatic Gel remains in the Mjolnir IV for the plan to work, even if it means boiling him alive.

The _Dawn_ was beginning to give, shrinking more and more as pressure build-up threatened to crush the hull like a paper cup.

"Just a few more minutes-"

The _Dawn's_ windows shattered! He felt his body being pulled by the vacuum, desperately scraping the walls with his fingers to fight it. Death was grasping for them once again.

"THREE MINUTES before we enter the Troposphere!" Cortana yelled, trying to communicate over the deafening noise of crushing metal. Searing heat was surging into the _Dawn_ as the bulkheads began to morph and melt; Hell's furnace, spiraling into the planet's atmosphere in a blazing ball of fire.

The Spartan felt his body being crushed and pulverized. He felt his grasp slipping.

"We have to let go! DAMNIT. Or else we will-" screamed Cortana, her voice distorted

The Spartan's fingers were powerless as the vacuum ripped his fingers off the wall. Within seconds his body left the _Dawn_ and fell into the sky below them. His vision faded as he dropped to the surface below, with Cortana's voice echoing in the back of his mind.

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	3. Chapter 1: The Road to War

**Halo 40K**

_A Halo/Warhammer 40K Crossover_

_By Freeformer_

_**All copyrights revised to Bungie Studios & Games Workshop**_

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**Chapter 1: The Road to War**

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**ONE MONTH AGO...**

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In the massive hanger of their formidable **Fortress-Monastery**, the Chapter's battle brothers gathered. Lined up in columns the Space Marines stood patiently, unmoving, unflinching; waiting for their Chapter Master's announcement. Most of the Chapter had assembled, saved for the few Companies who were on active duty across the Imperium. But even those Battle Brothers were present in spirit, in the minds and hearts of the Emperor's Space Marines.

Brother **Armaros **was among the waiting and the eager, his company behind him doing the same. His mind was concentrated, ready for any task that would require the presences of the Space Marines in the grim battlefields of the galaxy.

The expanding landscape of **Trækonnis Major **laid out in front of Brother Armaros like the Chapter's mantle, a single white crutch cross placed within a sea of blue; which hung massively around the Monastery's hanger. The rocky, orange landscape of Trækonnis Major was dwarfed by a nearby gas planet, whose magnificent rings can only be truly experienced on the ground. Dormant **Thunderhawks** lay in rest within the hanger; the mighty birds ready to ferry their brother's into combat in a moment's notice.

Then their **Chapter Master** appeared, sudden like a flash of lightning, with the **Chief Librarian** and the **Master of Sanctity **at his side. Adorned in the most prized wargear the entire Chapter had to offer, the Chapter Master stared down upon his Chapter, his eyes, organic and bionic, flared in pride and obligation. His voice boomed louder and clearer then any speaker system; when he spoke, his Chapter listened fervently.

"Now hear these words! News has come to us that the Governor of the Taros system has forsworn the sacred oaths of the **Pax Imperialis**. He has colluded with aliens and put the safe and good rule of _our_ Emperor in jeopardy! For these crimes it is judged that his punishment shall be death! The** Avenging Sons** have been chosen to be the instruments of that sentence! We are _honored_ to accept."

The Chapter Master's hand shot a finger at Brother Armaros, who closed his eyes and kneeled, his company follow suit.

"It shall fall to the **Second Company** and **Captain **Armaros to do the Chapter's duty. Prepare your brethren Brother-Captain, but know that you are not alone in this mission! The **Master of Forge** shall ready the **Machine Spirits** of the **Armory** to assist you, and brothers of the **First** and **Tenth** shall also aid you. The **Master of Fleet** shall ready the **Strike Cruiser** _Proxima Justus_ and by sundown on the next day you shall be embarked. May the tides of the Warp see you safely to Taros, and may the Emperor watch over your souls in the coming battle!"

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Captain Armaros' mind flashed back to the present. He stood on the bridge of the _Proxima Justus_ Strike Cruiser, looking out into the dangerous dimension they call the Warp. A wild, uncontrollable sea of peril and unknown, this was the Warp, a dimensional whirlpool of souls, home of Daemons and the **Realm of Chaos**.

Shielding the Space Marine Captain and his Company from the Warp was a module in the Strike Cruiser attached to its Warp Drive, called the **Gellar Field**. The module was installed in and emitted a force shield of realspace around, all Imperial Ships, preventing the soul eating daemons of the Warp from feasting upon the ship's crew. The Emperor's Space Marines were useless in the Warp, sheep waiting for slaughter. Brother Armaros was always "uncomfortable" with Warp travel, the element of "unpredictability" and "chaos" was unnerving for a Brother-Captain like himself. It was against Armaro's nature to leave his fate in the hands of the Imperium's Navigators; mutant abominations of man that can "see" and "feel" the Warp. They were the light keepers in the dark and Armaros' only guide in his journey.

The Avenging Son's Captain Armaros was a veteran of numerous assaults and battles evident in his **Artificer Armor**; decorated with many honors and seals of bravery including the revered **Terminator Honor**. This unique honor allowed him to pilot the Imperium's deadly suits of **Terminator Armor **into Combat. He was among the few of his Chapter allowed to wear these customized armors by proving his worth in the heat of battle, battles he had seen all over the Imperium. He had silenced the heretical preachings of Traitors over in **Sereno XI** and stopped entire **Ork WAAAGHs!** before they even started. However his most venerable accomplishment was the slaying of a **Champion of Slaanesh** in combat, an accomplishment that earned him a place in the **Great Hall **of their Fortress-Monastery.

For a month now the Avenging Sons' Second Company as been in Warp travel, traveling faster than light to the traitor planet Taros. From the length of time spent in the Warp, Captain Armaros had perfected his battle plan. Their mission was clear, even to a blinded fool. If Taros was to be spared, Governor Aulis was to be executed. It wasn't the Avenging Sons' Second Company's mission to wage a full scale war on the backwater planet. _It wasn't a Space Marine's role to wage total war on any planet. _The Imperium _cares _about its citizens after all. Taros was infected with a cancer, and it was their mission and duty to cut this bloody tumor before it spreads into the masses. The population can be spared when Governor Aulis is eliminated, his corpse charred to ash as a form of purification for his sins. Second Company would strike suddenly, raining from the skies like meteors in hails of Drop Pods. They would surround the Governor's Palace and engage him within the building complex. And if need be, the Second Company would level the whole structure on top of Aulis if his termination was proven to be _too_ difficult.

His strike force was to be a knife, cutting into the disease which was spreading from Planetary Governor Aulis' life and rule, removing him from the mortal plain. The Second Company would strike so swiftly the Governor would not have enough time to respond accordingly, and mount any resistance against them. But surely Taros' **Planetary Defenses Force **would falter at the sight of the Emperor's Divine Warriors. Who would dare face annihilation against the Imperium's Super-Soldiers? Or better yet even worst; who would fight against the God-Emperor's Holy Will? Those loyal to the Imperium would lay down their arms in surrender, while those who resisted the Avenging Sons' mission will be **destroyed**.

A haunting, howling scream filled the bridge, like a cry from a wounded animal.

Captain Armaros' eyes suddenly drew to the Navigator of the _Proxima Justus_, who shuddered violently.

"What is the matter Navigator?" Armaros asked.

"Disturbance! A great disturbance in the Warp!" the Navigator hissed, his head flinging back in pain as sparks began to erupt from his Navigator's chair.

"Daemons?" Armaros asked, his voice alerted.

The mutant threw his withered hands into the air, as the black orbs that were all that remained of his eyes widened in terror.

"No!" he howled

"A small rift in the Warp!" He screamed out.

A dark, flood of emotions overcame Captain Armaros, as a rift in the Warp can only mean one thing, one horrible, evil thing.

"Battle Stations! Prepare for **Chaos** incursion!" he barked over his Command module.

"No Captain! I sense no Chaos presences, but sense a shadow! A dark shadow within the Warp!" the Navigator interrupted, yelling to overcome his agonizing pain.

"Delay that order Sergeant!" Armaros said over his Comm, furious over the false alarm.

"Then what the hell could it possibly be Navigator?"

The Navigator held his withered hands at the Captain, his third eyes blinking on his forearms.

"We will see soon Captain!" the mutant warned.

Armaros' head snapped to the Cruiser's mounted view screen, watching as the Warp slowly morphed around the _Proxima Justus_. Flashes of purple and crimson lighting cracked all around the Strike Cruiser. Then suddenly a rift began to cut the fabric of Warp open! A large object emerged from the small rift, so close that the Proxima Justus almost collided with it. The object was foreign, smaller then an alien cruiser but larger than a fighter.

It was part of a space ship!

It passed the Proxima Justus for a split second before disappearing from the Warp. Like that, the object was gone, as fast as it appeared, like a mirage in a fog.

"How long was it on our sensors?" Armaros snapped; his words more of a response than a question.

"Four seconds." replied one of the pilots, who looked frantically over the complex controls and radars in front of him.

"Prepare to disengage Warp Drives and enter the **Materium**!" Armaros ordered.

"Yes, Captain." responded the pilots.

The thought of disengaging Warp Drives during the middle of Warp travel was suicidal. The crew had no idea where they would appear in Realspace, whether they would enter enemy territory or into the gravity well of a Star or Planet. But it was a gamble Armaros was willing to take. To stay on course during a rift was far too dangerous then any star or enemy can be. The entire mission could be lost within an instant if he did not act now.

He could not let that happen.

The Strike Cruiser slowed down in speed, quite visible as streams of light slowly began to manifest in the view screen. Soon the familiar, _safe_, blackness of space appeared. The Proxima Justus was engulfed in an ocean of distant stars, safe from the currents of the Warp.

"Sensors detect no enemy signatures Captain." Replied the pilot

"Prepare for Warp Jump again in 48 hours." Armaros ordered, grasping his **Power Fist** in anger as the gauntlet cracked with energy.

"And I want an identification on that foreign object!" he commanded.

"In progress now, Captain."

Captain Armaros of the Avenging Sons' Second Company had stumbled upon a dark revelation. Could the population of Taros be infected by Daemonic procession? Could they have fallen so deep into the grasp of Chaos to be redeemed? A rift in the fabric of the Warp would allow the forces of Chaos to leak into the mortal plain and devour whatever they wish. Could a rift had appeared over the orbit of Taros? As the Second Company stands in position, the forces of Chaos could be invading Taros at this moment, crushing any resistance that came before it. Armaros worried by the time his forces had reached Taros, the planet would be burning rock, lost by the madness which was Chaos.

But still Captain Armaros had faith in his Emperor, and the Avenging Sons Space Marine Chapter, the **"Shields of Humanity"**. Their mission would be gravely delayed from this strange occurrence, but it will not be stopped. His **Kill Team** would execute the traitorous Planetary Governor who had bastardized the Holy Rule of the Emperor. It was a price that Captain Armaros was willing to pay to play the game that was about to follow.

_A game he was going to, and had to win._

* * *

The** Master of the Undying Spirit **held his **Honor Staff** firmly as the **Water Caste** diplomat before him repeated his dire words. He had traveled from the world of the **Gue'la **to deliver the words of its Ruler, a man by the name of Aulis.

"The Gue'la Governor of Taros seeks the protection of the Tau Empire! He fears our mutual bonds had already doomed him and his people to destruction. Honorable **Aun'O**, Governor Aulis believes that the Imperium is moving against him and would-"

"That is simply enough, **Por'El**. The Tau will aid any race who believes in **The Greater Good**." **Aun'Va**, the Master of the Undying Spirit said, his voice carrying his message throughout the Council Chamber quiet effectively. All around him was his fellow Ethereals from the Empire, gathered from all Tau's **Septs** and Colonies. The High Council before him gazed at Aun'Va, whose mere presence was the incarnation of the Greater Good itself. No Ethereal in the history of the Tau had led the Empire so spirituality and faithfully for so long.

_Aun'Va's name had became indistinguishable from the Greater Good itself._

"The wisdom of Aun'O is the highest and greatest contribution to the Greater Good! His wisdom holds no bound!" preached an Ethereal, who rose up and nodded in agreement to Aun'Va' decision. Ethereal after Ethereal rose and nodded in agreement.

_All expect one._

"In all respect, does Aun'Va's decision conflict with your sapience, **Aun'El Shi'Ores?**" asked Por'El, who was insulted at the defiance of Tau.

Aun'Va' eyes drew to Aun'El Shi'Ores. As young as Shi'Ores was, his daring and boldness to stand up against something he opposed was a virtue in the eyes of Aun'Va. As old as Aun'Va was, he could still admire something like that in a young Tau. The High Ethereal could envision Shi'Ores' glorious career as **Fire Warrior**, fighting for the Greater Good; but that was only if he was fortunate enough to be born into the **Fire Caste**. His boldness and audacity would aid the **Fire Caste Commanders **and their role in protecting the Empire greatly. It was a shame, Aun'Va thought, that Shi'Ores was born into the _**Ethereal Caste**_, and thus must lead through politics. He was far too reckless, and hot-headed to be an Ethereal, especially one born on the world of **T'au**, the heart of the Empire, and whose people were named after it.

"Yes it does so Por'El. I object to this course of action." said Shi'Ores, who didn't hide from the stares the Council gave him.

"Explain than, young Aun'El." Aun'Va asked, already knowing the response Shi'Ores was going to give him.

Shi'Ores spoke, his voice surefooted, unafraid of criticism and scorn from his fellow Ethereals.

"Aun'O's wisdom, as righteous and as far reaching as the Greater Good as it is, is-"

Shi'Ores staggered for his words, picking very carefully what he was going to say, less he face being branded as a traitor to the Greater Good.

-naive in this-"

"HOW DARE YOU!" said the Ethereal next to him, rising up from his hover throne in outrage.

Aun'Va waved a hand at the Ethereal, who was identified as **Aun'El Ro'Yr**, of the **Fal'shia **Sept. Those who had also rose to confront Shi'Ores' outrageous remark stood in place too, waiting for the High Ethereal' response.

"Continue Aun'El." Aun'Va said.

"Noblest of Ethereals, please know that my words were said with the utter most esteem and honor towards you, Aun'O." Shi'Ores said, looking at the High Ethereal in the eyes, bowing slightly.

Aun'Va looked down on his student, and a kind smile inched across his grey-skinned face. Aun'Va was also born on the homeworld of the Tau Empire, and could see Shi'Ores' pattern of thinking. The T'au born shared a mutual bond as abstracted thinkers and questioning individuals, not to the Greater Good, but the _ways_ to achieve it. This was why their Sept was hailed as especially wise and learned. They knew _they_ were the best the Empire had to offer.

"Is this course of action, the most, _necessary_?"

"Say the word, young one. Any Ethereal who can not speak from the heart can not understand the Greater Good."

Shi'Ores felt the burden fall off his shoulders.

"Unwise." Shi'Ores added, feeling the silence that follow from his caste like daggers waiting to be plunged into his heart.

"The Imperium's numbers are unknown to us, should this, mining world, call for another action like the **Damocles Crusade**? Is this planet that important to the well bringing to the Greater Good?"

The Damocles Crusade, Shi'Ores was referring to, was the result of the first contract between the Tau Empire and the Imperium of Man; which led to a bloody war and genocide between the Tau and the Gue'la. The war was fought on Tau soil and space, which was largely limited to the **Damocles Gulf**, were the conflict got its name. Wave upon wave of Imperial Ships and Troops were pushed back by the Tau Empire's superior technology and tactics of it's commanders as well as the devotion of its people. The brutal conflict ended on a stalemate for both sides when Imperial Ambassadors requested a mysterious ceasefire one day. The reasons as to why still alludes the Ethereals even today, for the merciless Imperium would have undoubtedly fought to the very end if it wasn't for some unknown matter they had to address. The sudden withdrawal of Imperial forces that the Imperium had committed to the Crusade stranded many Human soldiers on Tau worlds. Some of them become the **Gue'vesa**, or "Human-Helpers" after they discarded the belief in their mad Tyrant they call Emperor, for the mercy of the Tau. The enlighten ones had embraced the Greater Good, while the others were too ignorant to be left alive.

Aun'Va spoke, his words carrying the weight of the Greater Good.

"The Greater Good applies to all races, even those different than us."

"But-"

Shi'Ores' remark sound like a gun shot in the silent chamber. Shi'Ores hid any signs of nervousness from them as best as he could and provide the reason for his objection.

"But, your Eminence, how can these Gue'la, these _Humans_, contribute to the Greater Good?"

Aun'Va paused for a moment, pondering the best answer to teach Shi'Ores.

"All living things contribute to the Greater Good, young Aun'El. The rustic workers of the** Earth Caste** are builders, farmers, and inventors, because they are too frail to fight. Instead they use their mind to accomplish their role in the Greater Good."

Aun'Va paused and looked at Por'El, who nodded and smiled.

"The fluent **Water Caste **serves as traders, interpreters, and negotiators because they are very adapt at learning alien languages and the skills of diplomacy. The daring **Air Caste **are navigators, ferrymen, and pilots because their skills and knowledge of flight and aero-combat are unmatched. The brave Fire Caste are soldiers and law enforcement, simply because they are the best for the role, and are fearless when facing the enemies of the Greater Good. You see Aun'El, everything contributes to the Greater Good. Our **Kroot** and **Vespid** allies are a testament to it. All races have a role in the Greater Good, if they choose to follow the path to Knowledge that is."

"I know your Eminence, but how can the Gue'la, who punish and kill their _own _kind for searching enlightenment in the Greater Good, possible contribute to it? How can the Gue'la who committed _Genocide _against our race be hail as "Brothers" in the eyes of the Greater Good, especially by us, Aun'O?"

The words had stunned Aun'Va for a moment. Slowly, the Master of the Undying Spirit crafted an answer to address Shi'Ores' deep rooted prejudice against Humanity, a prejudice shared by many Tau. His response didn't come quick, but it came from his heart.

"Not all Humans are ignorant and bloodthirsty as you make them, Aun'El. Some are ignorant, that is a truth, but so was our race before our Caste was formed, in the time of the **Mont'au**. I have seen the Humans, as little of them as we have on our side, die in the hundreds in the name of the Greater Good. I know this because I dug their graves with the Earth Caste. _I have taken great pains not to laugh at the actions of aliens, nor to weep at them or to hate them, but to understand them_. There is great strife among the Humans, and they are, in this fragile galaxy, the most needing of the _salvation_ that is the Greater Good."

Silence fell on the Chamber.

Aun'Va's words brought peace to Shi'Ores, who finally nodded in agreement, finally realizing his racism against the Gue'la and his stubbornness to accept them as part of the Greater Good.

"You have enlightened me, Great Ethereal. I am ashamed of my blindness to Wisdom."

Aun'Va smiled, and said,

"Hatred can not destroy the universe, but wisdom only can save it. You, Aun'El T'au Shi'Ores, have the virtues of a Fire Warrior, daring and bold. These virtues will define your role in the Greater Good as an Ethereal, young one."

Aun'Va stood, his old bones feeling the effects of Tau aging.

"Por'El, please address the Planetary Governor that his plea will not be unanswered. The Tau Empire will fight beside them. Together we will fight in the name of the Greater Good!"

* * *

Aun'Va looked out across the vast cityscape of T'au. The white marble buildings built by the mechanical drones of the Earth Caste rose to the infinite sky. Various ships filled the airways of the Capital City, trading with numerous off-worlders in a complex network of trade routes and traffic ways. From the distance, Aun'Va could see the mountains he used to scale with Fire Caste when he was younger, back when he accompanied them into battle. Aun'Va was a mere **Aun'Ui** back than, who still had much to learn from his Caste. But now, Aun'Va had achieved the rank of O, a title translated for the Ethereal Caste as "Highest" in Tau. The old Ethereal had seen the violent galaxy that their race struggled to live in, a galaxy without mercy or reason. Years and years of battle did not taint Aun'Va in his faith of the Greater Good, it as only _strengthen_ it.

The door to his chamber slip opened, and out walked forth **O'Shaserra**, known to the Gue'vesa as **Commander Shadowsun** of the Fire Caste. She had removed her helmet, letting her brown hair free to roam down fear face like the young spirit she had in her beating, fiery heart. She was still however in her **XV22 Stealth Battlesuit**, an experimental battlesuit developed by the Earth Caste and field by the Fire Caste's Commanders. Normally, a Tau would not be armed in the private presence of an Ethereal, but for Aun'Va, Shadowsun was not just a mere Fire Caste Commander. She was the sword of the Greater Good, and one of the most talented Fire Caste Commanders ever born, next to **Commander Puretide**, and the _**Traitor**_. So talented that Aun'Va named her his own personal bodyguard, the highest honor a Fire Born could receive.

She brought her arm to her chest as a form of salute to the High Ethereal, a rather unorthodox action as most Ethereals would not understand the customs of the Fire Caste. Aun'Va however did.

"Aun'O, I am here." Shadowsun said, her arm still placed upon her chest in respect for the Undying Spirit.

Aun'Va turned to face Shadowsun, who's young, beautiful face warmed the Ethereal's heart. Aun'Va never had the words to tell Shadowsun that he considered her his surrogate daughter, as much as he wanted to. Such actions were impossible in the Caste system the Tau lived in. Fire Caste Commanders served their Caste till their deaths, to grow an attachment to a Shas'O like Shadowsun would be dangerous if not sinful. She had always lived her life knowing she would die one day, to deny her the honor of death because of favoritism would be an _affront _to the Greater Good. Instead Aun'Va looked to her like he did to all other Fire Caste Tau, as soldiers who must die for their race. No love, only wisdom, and guidance.

"Have you made your choice, Shas'O'Shaserra?"

Shadowsun placed her hand to her side and in a crisp cut voice replied.

"Yes Aun'O, I have made my decision."

"I hope for the sake of this task that your choice is the most, commendable." Aun'Va said looking out into the distance.

"He is, Aun'O. He's fighting for the Greater Good as we speak."

* * *

"Level your **Pulse Rifles** and wait for my signal **Fire Warriors**!"

"Understood Shas'O." **Ta'she, **the** Shas'Ui** of the Fire Warrior squads replied.

Fire Warrior squads looked out from the shadows, underneath the thick canopies of tropical trees at their targets below. They watched from atop at all sides as their enemy moved about. Some of them were crouched, some were prone, but all were ready. The weapon they held in their hands were strapped on their shoulders, fingers on the trigger. From the distance they could only make out their enemy as a tide of _Green _as they marched to the beating of their war drums. Huge armored beasts of burden, with tusks as long as several yards, growled from the crack of the whip of their smaller, green, masters. The beasts easily towered over the Warband as they marched. The thumbing of their feet where shuddering the sides of the canyon that surrounded them, keeping the Fire Warriors on alert.

"**Pathfinders** make your mark, and fall back. **Broadsides**, wait for the Pathfinder teams to evacuate before you fire."

Tau Pathfinders moved swiftly and quietly deeper down the canyon, surrounding the enemy while hiding behind large rocks or whatever they could find. They were cautious enough not to alert the savages trailing unknowingly behind them, in front of them, and below them. Lesser equipped than Fire Warriors, Pathfinders had to be quick to relay the targeting coordinates back to the main strike force, for a headlong battle with the enemy would only end in slaughter for them. Their **Pulse Carbine's** mounted **Markerlight** scanned and recorded, analyzing their enemy's data within seconds. Fire Warrior teams above received the targeting information in an instant via helmet feed.

There were hundreds upon hundreds of them.

The **Be'gel **were savages, incapable of assimilation into the Empire. Their intelligence did not allow them to understand the meaning, or the idea of the Greater Good. Their presences could only bring discord and bloodshed to the Empire, thus they must be exterminated. Hunchback, the Be'gel were usually shorter than the Tau, but what they lost in height they made up in barbarity. The most savage and brutal of their race grew taller with every battle they fought in and rose through their ranks as leaders and giants. Unlike the wise Tau Ethereals, these Be'gel leaders display their "love" for their race with acts of terror and savagery. Strength ruled their ranks. Barbarity was the perfect word to sum up their entire race, a word celebrated by the Be'gel like how the Tau celebrated their **Tau'va **or Greater Good. They raided and pillaged Tau Colonies, marauding warbands who kill women and children without mercy and who upon destroying all signs of civilization around them, turn on each other. The Be'gel do not understand the emotions of sorrow and guilt, they can not and are unable to understand it. Thus their "civilization" crumbles into ruin from their massive bloodlust for war, and death. Once all their enemies are dead before them, they would rage upon each other and kill one another until there is nothing left. To use the word "Primitive" to describe the Be'gel is an insult to the Kroot allies that fight for the Tau'va. The Be'gel lives out their lives and write their legacy off the blood of the innocence, in total willing ignorance. Aun'Va himself, can not understand their kind and actions. They are simply put, a race gone mad without reason and logic. Now their kind lay in front of the Fire Caste's cross hairs, unknowing of their lingering doom that was to follow. _They would pay for their crimes today._

Their numbers wielded primal weapons, like steel edged hatchets and swords, spears made out of pointy rocks along with any other weapons they could recover from their previous defeat; like their Shootas and Sluggas, primitive rifles and pistols they made from scratch. All of their numbers were pulled from what remained of their forces after the last defeat they suffered in the hands of the Fire Caste army. After this marauding warband is destroyed the entire planet would be secure for colonization as a full Sept for the **Third Sphere Expansion**. If the Fire Caste army should fail, these Be'gel would retreat into the trick jungles and forest nearby and grow back to their original numbers. Once they do this, it would take decades, even centuries to dislodge them. Still it wasn't an easy task, if anything the Fire Caste learned to never underestimate their enemies cunningness, numbers and ferocious in battle, even that which processed the ignorance and stupidity belonging to the _Orks_.

"We need a lock on their **Warboss**, Pathfinders." whispered Ta'she over his comm.

An Ork Warboss is the tip of the blade for an Ork Warband, he is the glue and the whip that keeps these rebellious creatures in line. With his death, his warband would scramble in fear and panic and dissolve right in front of them, disintegrated from their pulse rifle fire. This action would inflict maximum damage in minimal time, the basic doctrine of the Tau Army.

The Pathfinders moved closer, their presences still not known. The tide of Green in front of them became clearer, revealing the individual Orks that made up the Warband. Scarred and wounded, some without limbs and others with limbs stitched on, the Warband was in retreat at first glance. But from countless encounters with the Orks, the Tau learned that Orks never retreated, they merely regrouped for another attack until you or they are lying on the ground **dead**.

One Pathfinder moved out of cover and approached the Warband slowly. The Warboss was a several meters in front of him, unaware of his presence.

* * *

"Big Boss" **Skull Basha** lumbered over his kin as his caravan marched to the beat of _his _war drums. Skull Basha was just merely a Nob under the previous Warboss' rule until the Ork's untimely demise at the hands of the Fire Caste army several weeks before. Skull Basha, like the dozens of other Nobs still alive fought and killed one another in a ritualistic gladiatorial game for the title of Warboss. Skull Basha was the victor, abandoning his birth name for his current one when he bashed the head of one Ork open with another Ork's head. His clan was slow to recognize his authority, and sometimes Skull Basha as to break a few skulls to get it through to their thick heads. His first order of business was to march back into the trick jungles of the planet **Fi'rios, **to regroup and plan for a new WAAAGH. Skull Basha didn't want to spoil Ork Honor or as the Ork say it, "'Onor" by running in fear back to their hiding places. What image of a Warboss would Skull Basha display if he ordered his clan to run back into the Jungles? Such weakness would never earn respect for him and would only bestow fear onto his **Boyz**.

A puny Ork came to his side, a visible nervousness on his ugly green face.

"Boss Boss! Meeb fought meeb saw sumfink, wona dem grey skins!"

Skull Basha's hand was big enough to cover the Ork's face as he reach for the collar of his shirt. The Ork made a nervous, unorky YEAP as Skull Basha pulled him closer to his scarred face.

"Wot didja say **Squig** runt?"

Skull Basha lifted the Ork up and raised him into the air.

"WOT DIDJA YA SAY SQUIG RUNT!"

"Meeb saw wona dem grey skins followin' us a few milz back Boss!" the Ork muttered.

Skull Basha looked around, a sense of urgency uncommon amongst Warbosses over came him. Then a primal rage started boiling inside of him. What if this Ork was lying? The split second of fear he had displayed undermined his role as Warboss! Were they all laughing at him right now? Skull Basha had to regain control!

"LIA! Why didn't ya tell meeb dis before idiot! Stoopid Lia!" Skull Basha roared as he threw the Ork into the jagged rocks of the canyon, killing him. In that short instance, Skull Basha's big, red eyes caught a glimpse of his enemy, a Tau Pathfinder.

"Looks loike weeb ab company! LETS AB SUM FUN BOYS! CUT EM UP!"

* * *

"Fire Warriors ATTACK!" shouted Shas'Ui Ta'she, as he fired.

The battlefield exploded into a frenzy of Pulse, Slugga and Shoota exchanges between two races. Ta'she's Fire Warriors squads had the advantage, pinning the Orks down from above. Orks began to drop from their fire, some of the smaller ones exploding into a mess of green flesh and red blood. The Ork corpses began to pile up around the battlefield, as their weapons were ineffective against the technology process by the Fire Warriors, as well as the use of ranged combat mastered and demanded by the Tau combat doctrine. The Orks were surrounded, but not beaten.

Skull Basha engaged the Pathfinder Teams alone, eagerly bringing his **Choppa **into their flesh joyfully. Pathfinders, and the Tau in general were physically weak, unable to fend themselves in close quarter combat and were not a match against a big Ork like Skull Basha. His **Power Klaw **choked and stabbed, ripping into the leathery flesh of the Tau Pathfinders before discarding their mangled bodies like broken toys in the wind. He licked his weapons clean of their blood before turning to a **Gretchin**.

"Tell da Squiggod ridaz ter Zap em down from da canyon!" he yelled, pointing to Fire teams on the canyon.

"Yes, yes Big Boss!"

The small creature hurried himself passed piles of burning Ork corpses to the giant Squiggoths, whom where annoyed and confused at the battle. He scurried up one the monster's leg to the Tower mounted on the backs of the four legged behemoths.

"Da boss wants ya ter zap at da enemies in canyon ya idiot!" he said to the Gretchin manning the cannon sized, **Zzap Gun**, who was too busy shooting at the Pathfinders below.

"Fragg yer snot meeb du it!"

The small creature tilted his gun upward pointing it at Fire Warriors above.

"Meeb see ya nows grey skins!" the Gretchin laughed.

The Fire Warriors where caught off guard as the Zzap Gun fired! A bright yellow-orange beam of energy zig-zagged out of the gun's barrel, instantly vaporizing those who didn't get out the way in time. The guns easily decimated the Fire Warriors' ranks. As advance as the Tau were, their armor could not withstand the power of the Ork Zzap Guns. The Gretchin gunners traced their fire along the sides of the canyon, cleaning out the Fire Warrior's targeting positions. Panic spread to the Fire Warrior as they instinctly drove out of the guns' attack. Unluckily some accidentally fell down to the vengeful Orks below, screaming along the way. The fall killed the Fire Warriors upon impact as their bones snapped for the height of the drop. It didn't stop the Orks from stabbing and gutting their weapons joyfully into their corpses, eagerly flocking over to sever heads as war trophies and withdrawing out organs like mad surgeons. When they where finished they happily waited for the next batch to fall from above.

_They didn't let death spoil their fun._

Shas'Ui Ta'she watched as his brethren were slaughtered from below and above. His heart felt an attack of emotions like grief,and helplessness. He drove away again as the Zzap Guns traced against the edges of the cliff, cutting it shorter and shorter. All around him his team flocked for cover. The battle would be lost if the Fire Warriors lost their firing position.

"We need Broadside support NOW!" Ta'she yelled into his comm, his voice a mixture of rage and desperation.

"BROADSIDES STAY IN POSITION! REPEAT STAY IN POSITION!" replied a voice in Ta'she's Comm.

Ta'she felt his soul sank as his request was denied. He shot back up and fired at the Orks below in hopes of changing the tides of battle by himself. If his Commander wasn't going to do it, by the Greater Good he sure would.

"Pathfinders get to higher ground and hold your position! **Battlesuits** and **Stealth Suits Teams** with me!" the same voice commanded.

* * *

Skull Basha was having lots of fun. He held his Choppa in air and was around to bring it down before he an idea came to him. Dropping his Choppa playfully on the ground, he grabbed his victim into the air. The Ork laughed as the Pathfinder bashed his Pulse Carbine into the big Ork's face repeatedly. The puny weapon finally broke and Skull Basha laughed some more. His big orkish hand held the grey skin in place by his short neck and so he could dig two fingers of his Power Klaw into the grey skin's eyes. The Tau shuddered uncontrollably as Skull Basha pierced his fingers out the back of the Pathfinder's head. A smile grew on the ork's scarred, happy face.

Who knew the first day of being Warboss was this fun?!

Skull Basha pulled the Pathfinder's head off free from his neck before kicking his lifeless corpse aside to be ripped apart by small Gretchins.

His eyes marveled at his trophy. This skull would make a perfect addition to Skull Basha's pointy stick.

He roared a primal Ork war cry in victory. The rest of _his _Orks around him followed.

"WEEB WON DA DADY BOYZ!"

"SKULL BASHA IS DA BEST!" chanted all his Orks in one.

Skull Basha raised his bloody Power Klaw and new trophy into the air and laughed.

Then his eyes were blinded momentarily. A black figure, silhouetted from the rays of the sun drew closer to him like a comet. For once in the whole battle Skull Basha was frighten. _It was him. _It was the Fire Castle Commander who killed the previous Ork Warboss and stopped them in their tracks. It was the grey skin that hunted Orks! Skull Basha's previous blood lusted eyes widen in terror; his mouth hung open stupidly. It was the grey skin coming to kill him! **Shas'O R'Myr was coming for him!**

* * *

Shas'O R'Myr took to the air as fast as his XV8 Battlesuit could carry him. Several Tau Crisis Battlesuits and Stealth teams were by his side as he flew over the battlefield like a bird of prey, traveling down the canyon trench like a missile. The battlefield situation was being carefully recorded by R'Myr's Battlesuit mounted **Positional Relay**, which gave the Tau Commander eyes everywhere. His attention went to the teams trapped in the thickest location of the battle. The Pathfinder Teams fled to higher ground and were struggling to hold their positions as Orks climbed in pursuit. Their Pulse Carbines were ineffective in pushing them back. Meanwhile the Squiggoths pounded the Fire Warriors along the Canyon cliffs, preventing cover fire for the teams below. As savage as the Orks were, R'Myr had to begrudgingly admit they were "cunning".

_But cunning did not stop the Greater Good. _

"Stealth Teams I want those Pathfinders evacuated from the battlefield! Crisis Teams with me! I WANT THOSE GUNNERY POSITIONS DESTROYED!"

R'Myr soared faster, his jet pack leaving a long visible trail of vapor and cloud behind him.

The Pathfinders fired their weapons, doing everything from shooting and kicking at Orks below them. They were surrounded as waves and waves of Orks climbed towards them, hungry for grey flesh. The faster they killed them and knocked them down below, the more and more that came. Within seconds they would be overrun.

The Orks smiled as their prey came into reach, but their fun was spoiled as the Pathfinders lift into the air, magically! They staggered back, afraid of this unknown magic that the Pathfinders had casted.

"WOT!"

Their faces held confusion as the cloaked Stealth Teams lifted the Pathfinders out of the battlefield. The invading Orks scrambled in fear as the Stealth Teams fired their Burst Cannons, spraying down at them with superheated plasma. They fell one by one, their bodies and face melted to the bone from their unseen foes.

The Stealth Team's stunt did not go unnoticed. Gretchin Gunners cursed as they blasted the Pathfinders out of the air in small pockets of explosions with their Zzap Guns.

"BOOM!" they shouted as they fired.

Charred bodies fell to the ground, a mixture of smoking metal and poorly vaporized flesh. As fast as the Stealth Teams could move, they couldn't outmaneuver the randomness path of the Zzap Gun.

A Gretchin shouted happily as he fired at the helpless flying Pathfinders, who evaded as much as they could. His green fingers pushed wildly on trigger, enjoying the sound of prey exploding in mid air.

"DIE! DIE! DIE! YA ZOGGIN GREY SKINS! YA MUVVA ZOGGIN ZOGGING MOVVERFUCKA! DIE!"

The metallic face of a Crisis Battlesuit suddenly came in front of him from his window, jolting him back in fear.

"NO! NO! MEEB TAKE BACK WOT MEEB SAID UBBOUT YER MOVVAZ!" pleaded the small creature frozen in fear.

The Crisis Suit hovered in front of him momentarily before firing it's Burst Cannon. The Gretchin splattered on the wall, like green paint smeared on the surface of an artist's canvas. The Crisis Suit hovered backwards a little before emptying his Missile Pods in a volley of projectiles. The Missiles ignited upon impact and exploded! The Zzap Gun towered crumbled, it's weight bringing the Squiggoth down with it. A thunderous explosion and a beastly howl of pain fill the battlefield. The Orks below scrambled away wildly as the multipliable ton creature fell on top of them, crushing them like the ants they were. The damage inflicted by the Crisis Suit was quite visible as parts of the Squiggoth's back were blown off, exposing raw flesh and bone. The beast led out one last howl as it crashed to the ground. A violet quake erupted upon its impact as R'Myr soared to the last Squiggoth. Faster and faster he went, speeding down the narrow Canyon trench.

The Gretchin gunner saw him approaching and fired. R'Myr easily evaded the slow moving beams and traveled pass the tower, much to the puzzlement and relief of the Gretchin. R'Myr flew to the front of the last Squiggoth, who stopped in it's tracks. This one was bigger, it's eyes and mouth engulfed R'Myr's battlesuit in shear size alone. The creature stared at him, not knowing what to do before roaring a deafen cry to insert dominance over the Fire Caste Tau.

Inside R'Myr stared at the dark abyss which was the Squiggoth's mouth as steams of saliva attacked his view screen.

"I can smell your horrible breath even from inside my Battlesuit, monster!" R'Myr remarked.

He hovered shortly before dodging the Squiggoth as the beast lunged after him, thinking he was a flying treat. The creature moved, it's giant legs crushing the small Orks below. R'Myr dodged and dodged, each time growing more uncomfortable as the creatures teeth and tusks came closer to him.

"This is getting rather unpleasant Monster." he said as the giant razor sharp teeth of the monster grew bigger and closer in his view screen.

He dodged away, and stared into the the creature's reptilian eyes as a feeling of guilt came into him.

"Shame, the Greater Good would have accepted your role with open arms."

He hovered aside in time as the Squiggoth lunged again, it's crushing jaws just barely missing the Shas'O by an inch.

R'Myr fired, his **Double Barreled Plasma Rifle **stripping off small chunks of flesh from the behemoth's face The Squiggoth's delicate eye exploded like an enormous bubble of blood as it led a deafen roar of pain and fury which overwhelmed R'Myr's Comm. He dodged and evaded the Zzap Gun's beams again as he moved under the belly of the creature. The Orks below him were greeted happily by the Shas'O with a hail of plasma falling from above, burning open holes inside of the Orks as he moved out of the shadow of the creature's belly. The last image the Squiggoth would ever see would be R'Myr coming suddenly into view, soaring from below before plasma fire blinded it. It led out a howling pain as it started rampaging into the Ork's numbers, in a blind, wounded act of rage. R'Myr soared into the sky, back into the light of the sun. He surveyed the battlefield, looking for whatever Warboss was "elected" by Orks.

From a distance he could see him, as the Warboss easily towered over those around him.

"Cumz down 'ere ya grey skin scumbag an let Skull Basha snik yea!" bellowed the Warboss. He got his wish, whether he really wanted it or not as R'Myr dropped towards him, like lightning.

"NO BOSS!" cried the small Ork as Skull Basha raised him in the air.

R'Myr fired!

Shots of burning plasma destroyed the small Ork as Skull Basha discarded his useless, smoking shield.

"I'm ready f'yaz!"

R'Myr hovered on the ground, watching Skull Basha as the Warboss charged to him. The mighty Ork swung his sharp Choppa Axe at R'Myr's Battlesuit, whom deflected it with his arm mounted shield easily. Skull Basha swung repeatedly, each time missing R'Myr as the Tau dodged and parried his blows.

"Stop toyin' wif meeb Grey SKIN!" Skull Basha yelled as he hurled his Choppa at R'Myr's head, who moved away. The young Warboss brought his Power Klaw down into R'Myr's cockpit quickly before the Tau could see his attack, leaving long steak marks as the Klaw slashed against Battlesuit armor. The Power Klaw was all that R'Myr had to really watch out for, everything else wasn't a threat. Skull Basha attacked again lunging forward before the Shas'O kicked him back. The Tau aimed and fired, disarming, literally the Ork's weapon and hand in one shot. The Power Klaw fell to the dirt, still twitching as Skull Basha barked loudly like a feral, maimed animal.

"The Tau is tired with dealing with your kind, Ork. Prepare for your journey." R'Myr projected over his Comm.

R'Myr reached over on his console, touching and turning a knob.

Skull Basha shake his bloody hand less arm in the air in defiance.

"ZOGG YA GREY SK-!"

Shas'O R'Myr fired his double barreled Plasma rifle, full power. The Indigo colored plasma punched searing Os into Skull Basha's body, shedding the Ork apart in seconds before he could even finish his sentence. Nothing was left when R'Myr was done but a glassed, shiny surface. The Orks around R'Myr shrieked in terror and routed in all directions.

"Are all Pathfinders off the ground Shas'Ui?" R'myr asked over his Comm.

"They are Shas'O!" replied the Stealth Team Leader.

"Crisis Teams to the air! Broadsides dig in and pound the remaining Orks below! POUND THEM UNTIL THERE IS NOTHING LEFT." R'Myr took off into the air one last time, this time with his Crisis Teams beside him.

Large Broadsides Battlesuits emerged from their hiding places in the jungles above and moved towards the cliff's edge. The Broadsides entrenched their feet into the ground, stabilizing their positions as they bring their heavy **Twin-Linked Rail Guns** to bear.

"**ALL FORCES** **FIRE AT WILL!" **R'Myr commanded.

The Broadsides' Rail Guns hummed, charging up energy before unleashing the horrifying wrath of the Tau Fire Caste. The air in front of the Rail Gun's path formed a tunnel of cloud vapor as the Broadsides fired! The hypersonic magnetic beams cut across the battlefield, melting everything in its path. The Rail Guns' attack pierced and dissected the dying Squiggoths, cutting them into pieces of random limbs and meat. From above R'Myr and his Crisis team unleashed a payload of Plasma fire and multipliable volleys of missiles, decimating the Orks below, till none was left alive.

The battlefield was a sea of glass when the fight was finished.

* * *

**PRESENT...**

* * *

**Yarn Krell **looked at the Tarosian landscape in front of him, a barren landscape of sand and rock, a place were no one can see their lives prospering in happiness or growing at all. Thus was the life of a citizen on the backwater planet of Taros. His brown-sandy colored eyes looked at the afternoon sky above him, were the few clouds of the planet gathered. The temperature was burning as normal, and already Yarn could feel the sweat falling from the back of his shirt after minutes from stepping out of the shade. A dried, arid, wind carried sand into his eyes as the miner rubbed rigorously to get them out.

"Come on **Ogryn**! I don't want to turn into a dune waiting for you; you useless sack of-"

"**Bronnx **be coming Yarn!" said the Ogryn, carrying large amounts of mining gear on his back as he emerged out the doorway.

Yarn motioned for the Ogryn to hurry, he didn't want to be late and face the punishment placed by his Masters for those late for work. To make matters worse, they were already late! And they weren't even a few yards of _his_ house yet!

"Bronnx would travel fasta if Yarn carries-"

"Shut up and hurry up! We have a long way to walk thanks to you!" Yarn snapped after the two failed to hatch a ride with fellow miners.

The Ogryn frowned as he followed Yarn a few feet behind. Bronnx didn't like this place very much. He wasn't born here and didn't come here on his free will. He was shipped here after being rejected by Imperial Guard for being too _"stupid" _even for an Ogryn to fight for the Emperor. To think that the Imperial Guard would reject anyone from dying in the name of the God-Emperor was laughable, even heretical. Bronnx didn't laugh however; he didn't know how to do so.

A long work day was ahead of them. Twenty hours out of the twenty-six standard Tarosian time. It was the price the two had to pay for being given the privilege of living in a house or a "Unit" as their company would call it. Some of the **Mining Companies** on Taros didn't even allow their workers to sleep in a bed let alone live with their families. Yarn had his family, a wife by the name of **Karna**, with a baby expected on the way; and Bronnx had himself.

When Yarn and Bronnx first met, it wasn't pleasant. Yarn in particular hated when his wife offered Bronnx food during meals and ranted that, "They weren't getting paid to feed _Ogryns_" like Bronnx. They were partners pure and simple, because the company required two workers in one Unit, strictly. But Bronnx really liked Yarn, he looked "pretty" with his human features as opposed to the twisted, deformed face like his own. And he believes that Yarn admired the superior strength that an Ogryn processed, something that made up for their lack of intellect.

But to Yarn, Bronnx was a freak nothing more, nothing less. He was a mutant freak that leeched off his money and family in glee.

The Tarosian sun pounded off their backs as they traveled for miles, before Yarn waved for a rest period.

He withdrew a canteen of warm, precious water from his sack and drank plentifully. The smoothing, wet liquid cleansed his dry throat as Bronnx looked on' licking his crooked lips.

"Bronnx want drink now!"

Yarn looked at the Ogryn, his eyes in shock.

"Then drink from yours! Don't look at mines!"

"But Bronnx forgot canteen today!"

"Then don't look to me like I pity you! I don't pity stupidity! And I'm not sharing my water either Ogryn! How can you be that _stupid_, even for an _Ogryn_ to forget the most precious thing on an Emperor-forsaken planet like this?"

Yarn couldn't believe the creature he saw in front of him. He couldn't believe that he was sharing a Unit with a buffoon like Bronnx.

"Please Yarn, Bronnx is very thirsty today!"

"Quite frankly I'm the last one on Taros that _cares_ Ogryn!"

Bronnx looked at the human, and couldn't understand his actions. Maybe, he thought, he was too stupid to be able too. He wanted to cry; imagine that! An Ogryn crying! Bronnx would if he had any water left in his body for tears.

"Bronnx would skip dinner for drink Yarn! Please!"

A sudden spark of interest came into Yarn's eyes.

"You said it Ogryn, you said it. You tell Karna that when we get home. Don't drink it all you got it? I say again, do not drink it all, we still have a long way to go! Catch!"

"Much thanks Yarn!"

Yarn tossed his canteen into the air, and it hit the Ogryn in the face because the Ogryn didn't know that he had to _catch _it. Instead, Bronnx stood in place, with his mouth hung open in welcome.

"LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID YOU IMBECILE! YOU STUPID IMBECILE! WHAT AM I GOING TO DRINK NOW?!" Yarn exploded, and felt his muscles tense up.

Bronnx looked at the canteen on the floor before his mind registered what happened. He dropped the expensive mining gear on the floor and reach down to grab the canteen.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU-"

Bronnx looked at the wet sand surrounding the empty canteen, clueless. He held the canteen up in the air and licked the few remaining drops in it.

Yarn stormed over, his tanned face red from sun burn and anger. He wanted to punch Bronnx hard, that way he can get that small brain of Bronnx to start working again.

_If that stupid Ogryn had a brain anyway._

He shot out a finger at Bronnx's large crooked face.

"My patience is wearing thin Ogryn. Very thin..." he warned, snapping his canteen away from Bronnx's huge hands.

"But Bronnx didn't get drink!"

Yarn felt his emotions overcome him. He snatched a handful of wet sand and hurled it at Bronnx's face, repeatedly.

"YOU WANT DRINK! THERE IT IS OGRYN! IT'S ALL DRANKED UP BY SAND! SO DRINK SAND INSTEAD!"

Yarn didn't stop when Bronnx rose, his face growing angrier by every throw. As stupid as Ogryns were, they knew when they were getting picked on. Yarn stopped as Bronnx towered in front of him. Yarn was by no means short; at six feet he was quite muscular thin for a Tarosian. But Bronnx was taller, lumbering in at almost eight feet tall.

Bronnx's eyes drew to the sky above Yarn. He formed a large O with his mouth before pointing to the sky with his hand.

"Watch Yarn! WATCH!"

Yarn looked, and saw a meteor fall from the Tarosian sky close to their position. Then he narrowed his eyes, and saw another object falling from the sky, this one landing even closer.

* * *


	4. Chapter 2: Planet Fall

**Halo 40K**

_A Halo/Warhammer 40K Crossover_

_By Freeformer_

_**All copyrights revised to Bungie Studios & Games Workshop**_

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_His thoughts when back to the Hill._

_All the kids tried to push him off that hill, his hill. They wanted his kingdom, his throne; but he pushed back! He pushed back harder, more aggressive than the other kids; and maybe that was why they came for him. He really wanted that Hill badly; maybe that was why they took him away, from his school, his house, his parents. Maybe that was why they stoled him, pummeled him, drilled him, and molded him, and when they were finished, pummeled him some more. They forged him using his own sweat and blood, and gave him valor and discipline when he lacked it. But no matter what they did to him, the pain they caused, the lies they spoke, his thoughts went back to that hill. All he had was that hill, his hill, back when he was King of the World. He remembered how it felt like looking down at the kids on top of that hill. He felt so big, felt that he could see the whole world in front of him. He could see who his enemies were, and who were his friends on top of that hill. No one could hide from him. He was so tall on that hill he could see all, everyone in that playground, and his school beyond it. They were so small compared to him, so feeble and frightened of him. The sky above him darkened, it became hard to tell the night time from the day. The small children below him huddled together, frightened from the looming darkness._

_An echo._

_An echo of a voice that was calling for him. He resisted! It was a trick to get him off the hill. It was a trick for them to pull him off his hill! He wouldn't listen this time! Not this time. He won this hill fair and square!_

_The voice became louder, and closer, no longer an echo, but a whisper. It called to him, but he resisted! The lies they told him! Never again! He swore to it! Let the other kids find their own hill!_

_The voice became clearer and it was familiar, like a distant memory entrenched in the back of his mind. It wasn't a demand, it was a plea. He leaned closer to the direction of the voice, his hand cupping one of his ears to focus it. He couldn't hear what the voice was pleading for, only that it called his name for help. He was too far away to know what the help was, but only knew he could help. The voice pleaded again, this time more urgent. He leaned closer, this time taking a step down from his protective hill. The voice was still too far away to hear, but his eyes could see a distant light! He stepped down, lower, and lower, as the light grew brighter and brighter, till finally he was off his hill. He stood in front to the scared children, towering above them like an adult would. What if they took his hill? He gazed at their frighten, teary eyes. The faces he once saw as enemies became foreign to him. Huddled together they didn't speak, but only looked at him with those innocent eyes they had._

_The voice cried out, loud, scaring the children even more. He turned his head away from them and gazed at the white light just on the other side of the dark playground. He walked slowly, passing the children towards the white light. The voice called to him again, asking him for something he didn't know if he could do. His mind raced back to the hill, his protective shelter, his tower above the world. He couldn't leave it! He stopped, his tracks frozen still. He couldn't see what the source of the blinding light was, and was scared himself. What was on the other side? Was it death? He wasn't afraid of death!_

_He just wanted his hill._

_His head turned and he saw the children. Further away from them now, he noticed that they weren't scared anymore. He couldn't see their faces but he could feel the touch of fear no longer grasping them. He looked passed them and he could see his hill, still empty, still waiting for him. But it didn't matter to him now. It was the children behind him that he was worried about. The children whose faces were blurred from the tall shadow the white light casted of him. He turned to face the blinding light, a small but growing smile on his face. He walked closer, not knowing what was in store for him. He wasn't scared now, just like how the children wasn't scared now. He smirked when he walked, taking comfort in knowing that though he walked tall and alone, the children took shelter in the shadow he casted. _

_He was their hill._

* * *

**Chapter 2: Planet Fall**

* * *

"Can you hear me? Wake up Chi-"

His eyes reacted painfully at the sun's rays which hovered over him like hospital lights. He quickly blinked behind his visor at his surroundings. His helmet was still functional, albeit a little damaged.

"We made it, it seems your luck as pulled us through........ again." Cortana remarked, a tone of relief in her voice.

"Some luck." he replied, trying to rise to his feet. A crippling pain attacked him, a pain he never felt before in his life, forcing him to collapsed back onto the sandy ground slowly, unable to move.

"Take it easy! Your armor is in **Lockdown** mode, _critical_ condition. You just fell through atmospheric entry for goodness sake! Your lucky to be alive! And so is your firearm!"

"Like I said, some luck." he added with sarcasm. His vision traveled down to the MJOLNIR V armor he wore, damaged. His fears were correct, damaged beyond repair.

"I can't activate parts of the MJOLNIR V interface. They won't accept any of my commands. I believe this is one of **SWC's** built in fail safe to stop any external Covenant attacks into the MJOLNIR's interface when the armor suffered critical amounts of damage."

Her words were dire, and the Spartan knew it.

"You have to give me some time as I reconfigure the armor's fail safe. I might be able to by-pass it. Cross your fingers cause here I go."

"I wish I could." he replied, trying to relax.

"I thought you were a Spartan? Now that the war is over, I guess your a comedian." she replied, humorously.

The Spartan's body burned, his skin starting to boil from the hot Hydrostatic Gel still trapped inside his armor. Separating him from the gel was just a thing layer of material. He remained emotionless without any hint of pain as he felt small bits of his skin flake away from his flesh. Spartan Training was the only thing keeping him alive, the augmentations they gave him kept him sane. A normal man would be boiled alive in his situation, but for him, it was just like wearing a wet suit while taking a bath with water just a little too hot. He didn't however, want to look at a mirror anytime soon if he got out this situation.

"I managed to pressurized the Hydrostatic Gel just in time before we made impact. _Fortunately_, we made a soft landing or else you would have broken every bone in your body. However the gel has risen to critical temperatures and from my calculations it will do serious harm over time. I would have to eject the fluid from your armor at once."

He bit on his teeth hard when he felt the gel level dropping, slowly. The blueish liquid oozed out from a exhaust port, spilling it into the brown sand surrounding them, hot and streaming. Then he felt his body cool as his skin began to feel a relaxing cream like substance applied to it.

"Beginning Biofoam treatment, try to relax." said Cortana, like a mother would to a child with a cut on his finger.

Then his body reacted, a sudden burning sensation overwhelmed him. The foam penetrating his wounded body, seeping through every small cut and burn he had sustained from his fall. He fought against the pain, trying to grasp it by the horns as it grew more painful by the second. Then the feeling of numbness followed, something he welcomed with opened arms.

"Bad news. It seems that the gel had done a number internally to the armor. Parts of MJOLNIR V's Pressurized Seal is torn open, and the armor's shields seem unresponsive to my commands. Manual overrides don't seem to be functioning either. This isn't good. This isn't good at all."

"Just my luck."

* * *

The Ogryn's breath was beginning to get to him. Foul, and vile, Yarn felt like throwing up the little food he had for breakfast. He was such a wretched creature to look at, with his irregular set of eyes, one bulging out of it's socket more then the other, muscular veins which seem to stretch and pop up everywhere where there are hair pores on his body, teeth that were badly decayed they hung out from his mouth in varying sizes, like fangs. The Imperium bred him as 99% muscle and 1% brain. Yarn looked away.

"Move over!" he whispered, nudging the Ogryn further away with no use.

"Bronnx can't look."

"Move!" the human spat.

The hulking, useless vessel of flesh and bone next to him distanced himself.

"When can Bronnx see?" the Ogryn asked, like a child would say to someone not sharing.

Yarn's eyes were glued to his binoculars, glued to the object just a few yards away from their location.

"What is, Yarn?"

His head snapped away from his binoculars and stared at the buffoon next to him.

"Even if I told you, you wouldn't get it."

"Tell Bronnx anyway." Bronnx pleaded.

Yarn's attention drew back to the object that fell from the sky. He zoomed in as best as he could. The things he had seen although is life was nothing like this! He couldn't make out much details, but from what he could see it was a thing.

No a person!

"_A person falling from the skies?"_ Yarn said to himself. From all his years he had never heard of it, nor could even fathom such a thing. But then he remembered a story his father told him. A story of the Imperium's super-soldiers falling from the skies like rain, something his old man heard elsewhere. A Space Marine! His throat and mouth began to water with excitement. He was nervous, not knowing what to do next. Rumors had been spreading amongst the Miners that their planet would be invade by the Imperium, because of their "secret". Yarn was scared stiff at the thought of fighting one of them. Let alone even fighting one of them.

"Bronnx can't see, he go closer." he said before making a mad dash to the crash site.

"No you idiot!" Yarn screamed, before slapping his mouth shut.

* * *

"The suit is still in Lockdown, I can't break the override!" Cortana was starting to get really "aggravated" at the complexity and the stubbornness of UNSC programming. She had managed to hack into the galaxies oldest computer with relative ease, but this, this was _almost_ difficult.

"UNSC researchers built in a security lock that overrides any AI commands to the armor, as precautions to AI Rampancy! I can't bypass it!"

"Take your time, you can over ride it."

His words touched her in a way that she didn't foresee. As impossible as it may seem, Cortana thought that his words were, very "Sweet". It was actually one of the nicest things he said to her in a long time, in a very long time even.

"I'll see what I can do." she replied, smiling to herself

The Spartan looked into his vast surroundings as best as he could. He was like a broken toy, unable to move his limbs at all. The sea of brown grainy sand stretched around him, engulfing him in it's vastness. The sky he fell out of was grayish, with a lack of clouds. The planet he was marooned on reminded him of a planet he had visited on during his Training. The name slipped his mind, but he could-

"Motion Sensors detect movement!" Cortana whispered.

The Spartan snapped back into attention. Lifeforms on a planet. Could they be hostile or friendly?

"What direction?" he asked

"North-East, 20 yards away from our location."

He desperately tried moving his body, but the armor didn't respond. He was sitting duck, ironically trapped in the armor that saved his life countless of times before.

* * *

"You imbecile your going to get us killed!" he screamed

Yarn leaped onto the back of the **Abhuman**, trying as best as he could to stop him. Bronnx however didn't register his response and continued moving, carrying Yarn like a child on his back. The closer and closer he went, the object became more clearer and clearer.

"Bronnx see now! Green Man!" he yelled, pointing towards the grounded Spartan laying motionless on the burning sand. The two of them were still too far away to see if the figure was armed. Yarn didn't want to risk it.

"Bronnx stop! This is too dangerous." Yarn wrapped his muscular arms around the Ogryn's thick neck, attempting to choke him. The Abhuman didn't feel a thing. He was drawn to this strange man that fell from space, clad in Green armor and motionless. The Ogryn inched closer, moving slowly as if the figure was a _harmless_ wounded animal on the street. Yarn freed his hands and dropped to the floor after seeing the figure was unarmed. He gazed at this figure, this so called "Space Marine" as they were so famously called. He didn't look so dangerous to him, probably dead from planetary entry.

"Funny." he thought to himself.

"_I was told they where bigger."_

The Ogryn lift one finger and poked at the Spartan, screaming pain before withdrawing his finger away.

"He's still hot you buffoon. You see all that smoke!" Yarn remarked moving closer, now darlingly in his demeanor.

Bronnx rubbed his finger gently, stepping back in caution.

"Be careful Yarn, he dangerous!"

Yarn didn't register what his "companion" said as his eyes traveled to the Space Marine's armor. Painted green, the armor looked like it was built by the heaviest metal he had ever seen. Working primary at the Ore Factories on the planet, Yarn could identify heavy materials quite easily with eye sight alone. By his guess it must had weight half a ton. But this metal, he thought to himself. _It was far to weak._

"_Play along, I think I've manage to crack into the fail safe."_ Cortana whispered.

The Spartan was watching his strange observers. One was clearly a human male, while his friend was clearly not. He had never seen something like this before, the creature was like the bulky, stronger versions of those who were crippled and mangled from botched Augmentations during the Spartan Program. The human did not wear any UNSC military uniform or any recognizable civilian clothing for that matter either. Their situation just grew worst. Being maroon on a planet was nothing compared to being marooned on a _rebel_ planet. And this was what he had feared, landing among rebels. How could rebel colonies still even exist after the Covenant War; a war that united Humanity under the Eagle of the UNSC? He had plenty of experiences with those failing to understand or follow UNSC military laws, and usually they are proven to be very unpleasant. He only option was to wait it out, until he could move. Until he could kill them.

A long moment passed, as each party didn't know what to do.

Yarn crouched on the ground, looking into the Space Marine's visor. It's shiny golden surface reflected his face back to him. He wanted to remove the helmet. He had always wondered what was beneath all of that loyalty and courage a Space Marine had, he hoped it was a face, a human face like his, not an abomination like Bronnx's. Slowly his hands grasped at each side of the Helmet.

He pulled!

He pulled as hard as he could! But the helmet didn't budge at all, it was still determined to hide the warrior and his secrets.

The Spartan was growing more and more uncomfortable every split second. He twitched his fingers and felt it moved a tiny bit.

"_Just a few more moments."_ her voice in his helmet told him.

Yarn was determined to steal whatever loot he could find in a dead Space Marine's corpse. The Underground market and indeed the Tau Empire would pay a very pricey amount of money to learned the secrets of the Emperor's greatest warriors. Anything from a **Bolter Round** to Battle Honors. Better yet, the Governor! The Governor would pay him something few people on the planet would ever get, freedom, a ticket off of this doomed planet. The money he would make would allow him and his wife to blast away once and for all. He pulled harder, feeling his finger growing more painful with each try. Bronnx stared obliviously at Yarn, taking a few seconds to register what was happening before he acted.

"Let Bronnx help!" the giant Ogryn nudged Yarn aside, wrapping his broad, meaty hands underneath the Spartan's shoulders. The abhuman grunted, not used to lifting such heavy weight. He only managed to lift the Spartan about an inch off the ground, before dropping him in exhaustion.

"Heavy."

"Aren't you the sharpest knife in the drawer?" Yarn said sarcastically, walking up next to the Ogryn.

"We pull together!"

"Yarn yes!" exclaimed the Ogryn in joy, finally getting the teamwork he so much desired from his friend.

The two very different individuals set upon their huge task of labor, dragging the Spartan back to their Unit. For what seemed like hours they dragged the Spartan under the searing sun and gusting winds, till finally Yarn dropped to the ground, exhausted. The sun blinded him as stared above, it's pounding heat already baking the skin on his back. Whatever the planet could throw at him however was nothing, he was too busy dreaming about his successes and his reward of leaving this plane, to care. But what about the miners; and the company for that matter? There would be hell to pay later on when the company arrived in his doorstep. But it didn't matter, he was planning to sent his prize straight to the Planetary Governor, therefore granting him safe haven from the watchful eyes of Taro's Mining Companies.

He had to work fast, if he was to be undiscovered. Routinely, the Mining Companies would send out patrols to kill any miners wondering the desert aimlessly, away from work expected from them. Miners like himself and Bronnx.

He jumped to his feet, still able to stand under the overwhelming pain to his lower back and fingers. If there was one thing the company taught him, it was mind over matter.

_If you don't mind, it doesn't matter._

"Come on, we still have a long way to go-" Yarn stuttered when he bit hard on his tongue as the Space Marine rosed to his feet.

* * *

At first he didn't like going along with Cortana's plan of staying silent, and watching as these, people, if you could call one of them _people_, dragged him across the arid desert to a place unknown. He stood tall, only matched in height by that twisted face "human" in front of him, and his companion.

"Well say something!" Cortana said over his helmet feed.

That was the problem, he didn't know what to say. It was hard trying to think of words to say to these people, after being maroon on a floating piece of rumble for a month. Cortana did a lot of convincing while they were being dragged for him not to kill them. The Spartan was sure that the smaller male posed little to no threat against him, but that other one, the one even bulker and taller than a **Brute**, was something else entirely. Swiftly he unlatched the Assault Rifle he had strapped to his back and leveled it on the two. Spartan Training taught him to shoot first and ask questions later. The two froze in fear at the sight of his weapon, seemingly uncertain of what they were going to do next. But before long, they both reached a mutual conclusion.

They broke off and ran! They scrambled into the dusty sands as he lowered his weapon under the insistence of Cortana, who cursed at him.

"Wait comeback!" she shouted

The big one turned his head around and stopped in his tracks.

"You are Woman?" he shouted back in return. His comrade began to slow down himself, but not to a complete stop.

"You can say that!" Cortana responded, smiling to herself.

"What the hell are you doing?" the Spartan whispered.

"Just play along, okay? Now wave your hand."

"Come over here gentlemen! We are lost!" Cortana exclaimed in an overly cheerly tone, even for herself as the Spartan waved his hand awkwardly, like he had never done the gesture before. It was true in a way, he never done it to _enemies. _It seemed to work however, as the two of them slowly began to inch their way back. They were cautious, still very much alerted like the AI and Spartan themselves. The two pairs met face to face.

"_Extend your hand."_she whispered

The Spartan extend his hand openly to the big figure, who look at it strangely, like he had given him a severed head to hold.

"You shake it." Cortana said, baffled at how some humanoids still could not understand the concept of a handshake.

The Ogryn looked at it for a second, before understanding, taking the Spartan's hand tightly into his.

"Please to meet you." she said

"Please you meet." the Ogryn replied, turning to his friend and yelling.

"She's Friend, Yarn!"

The smaller, less muscular human, known by the name of Yarn approached the Spartan and Cortana, his hands dug into his pocket.

"How exactly are you lost?" he asked cautiously, his eyes not leaving the sight of the Spartan's weapon.

"It's a long story, your name his Yarn is it not?"

"Sure is madame!" Yarn exclaimed. He wanted to see if his sudden change of attitude would alarm the figure. If it was the case, Yarn wouldn't hesitate to trade Bronnx's life for his own. Yarn smiled.

"Yarn Krell is my name. It is always a pleasure to meet one of the Emperor's Space Marines."

"_Space Marines? Emperor?"_ The Spartan whispered.

"Pardon?" Yarn said, narrowing his eyes.

"_Leave it to me. Just stay quiet." _Cortana had no record of a rebel self-proclaimed as an Emperor in her UNSC military memory banks, let alone the name, Space Marine. Theoretically the name could refer to the **ODST**, UNSC's **Orbital Drop Shock Troopers**. Never the less, she wasn't going to allow their cover to be blown. And for the most part, she could use this to their tactical advantage.

"Greetings! And of course, we are none other then the Emperor's Space Marines." she commented

Yarn looked at them with careful eyes, but even she, an A.I., could feel the man's defenses slowly slipping.

"We have much to discuss, Yarn and-"

"Don't mind this scum next to me, he is just a tier above what you kill on your missions." Yarn said coldly, eyeing his companion.

"Bronnx! I name is Bronnx! Me am a Ogryn!" he flex his deformed muscles lovingly, trying to display his talent to the "Emperor's Space Marine".

"Would you stop it you blistering moron!" shouted Yarn, embarrassed. He could only imagine how the Space Marine was laughing to herself under her visor. But then he remembered.

_There is no such thing as a female Space Marine._

He kept this to himself. He had to find a way out. His life, depended on it.

Cortana giggled at the drama unfolding in front of her, and she reared back in terror, feeling herself becoming more human as the conversion went on. The Spartan however remained alerted, then suddenly drawing his weapon and pointing it to the direction of the two.

Yarn and Bronnx jumped away, burying their heads in the sand as the Spartan shouted.

"What is that!"

Yarn looked over, his eyes drawing back in fear at the dust trail the vehicle left a few distances away from them.

"Oh no! The company patrol! They will kill us if they see us out here!"

Yarn jumped to his feet, second time today and made a run for it.

"Be wait Yarn! Follow me!" Bronnx yelled, following him.

The Spartan didn't move, narrowing his eyes at the target a few yards away, weapon perfectly leveled in front of him as the two passed him.

"Damn it!" she cursed.

"_Don't fire in till we have identity the target!" _she told him.

He waited until his target got closer, until he saw it. It was a gray colored vehicle, sharped like a large boat, the sides of its frame rusted from many years of use traveling across the desert sands, a black sail casted above it's mast like a warning as it hovered towards him. It stopped right in front of the Spartan, turning on to it's side so the riders could see him. The Spartan saw the strange eyes looking at him, faces sunburned tan, holding what looks like a musket and a pump action shotgun, none of which were UNSC made. They wore tattoo's on their faces, and wore what looked uniforms smeared in oil and sand. They leveled their weapons at the Spartan, unsure of what to do.

"Who the hell are you!" one said, slightly trembling as he said it.

The Spartan didn't respond, and Cortana didn't tell him anything. Cortana hoped that the two would do the right thing.

One of them eyed his partner, the one with the musket, as he gripped his shotgun tighter.

He said something as the Spartan shot him.

"Shoot em!" Were the words leaving his mouth as he landed on the deck, a smoldering hole between his eyes as his partner stepped back, only to realize seconds later what had happened.

"Drop your weapon!" Cortana said, knowing the Spartan would never give a warning to anyone.

The Rider panicked for a moment choking on his words. He dropped his weapon and raised his hands in the air.

Yarn and Bronnx curiously looked back, moving as the Spartan waved his hand at them from a few distances away. They ran back towards him, shocked at the death of one of the riders. The Spartan threw the surviving rider a canteen as he motion the two board.

Yarn climbed on, not helping Bronnx who had struggled to pick up his large frame onto the deck of the vessel. He watched as the Spartan effortlessly twist and break the metal weapons, before discarding them like broken toothpicks over the vessel. He walked pass the two without a single word, to the controls of the desert skimmer.

"What are you?" Yarn finally asked.

The Spartan looked over the series of levers and knobs along with the steering wheel. Cortana reassured him that driving this thing was a piece of cake.

"I am a U.N.S.C. **O.I.N. **sanctioned Spartan. Serial number 117" he said without turning to him.

The Spartan's hands touched the wheel as told by his AI companion. Turning a series of knobs the vessel slowly hovered in the air.

"What is your name?" Yarn asked, wondering if he should reach for the Snub Pistol he had strapped in the back of his belt, hidden under his shirt.

"John." he said, waiting for him to grab at his weapon.

"John!" Bronnx shouted in delight, finally knowing the name of his new friend. Yarn narrowed his eyes slightly and moved his hand away from his weapon. How could he know without turning around?

"And your rank?" Yarn asked, curiously.

The Spartan's hands left the steering wheel. He stood there for a moment before turning to face Yarn.

"Master Chief." he stated.

Bronnx strapped into attention and shot him a sloppy salute.

"Chief Master mister!" the Ogryn said, like he would to a Imperial Guard Commissar or Lieutenant.

The Chief returned the salute at Cortana's request, as Yarn grabbed the wheel. Alerted, the Spartan was watching Yarn's every move as the latter turned the Desert skimmer to the south.

"Hello." a voice said to Yarn and Bronnx.

The two were stunned for a moment, scanning the area for the voice of a woman.

"My name is Cortana. I am an UNSC Artificial Intelligence Construct, AI for short, assigned to Spartan 117. My serial number is CTN 0452-9. Pleasure to make of your acquittance." Cortana forced Master Chief to extend his hand towards Yarn.

Bronnx had trouble with the fancy words and so did Yarn, whom shook the Spartan's hand.

The rider cursed and hurled something at the vessel. In one swift motion Master Chief had unlocked his weapon strapped to his back, aimed and fire at the object. The single bullet cut through the desert air and met it's target before it detonated. Yarn dropped to the floor covering his head as the loud explosion of the grenade deafen his ears. A bright fireball covered the side of the vessel, rocking it violently.

Two rounds penetrated the rider, a round to his chest and another one to the center of his neck as he fell to the ground, sand gently blowing away from his impact. Yarn watched as the Master Chief magnetized his weapon to his back and look at him. Yarn shot back up, fearing what eyes the Spartan's helmet visor hid.

"No more warnings." The Chief said.

"Pardon?" Yarn shuddered out.

"Damn it Chief I couldn't let you shoot him down in cold blood!" Cortana yelled.

"What is be going on?" Bronnx said, confused even more then Yarn.

"Spartan war time policy, shoot first and ask questions later."

"We aren't in a war anymore _John_!" she blurted out his name.

The Spartan and his AI were both stunned in silence. They were bickering, bickering like a _couple_. Both of them knew they were entering into an area they shouldn't. No army regulations had anything on _this_.


	5. Chapter 3: The Enemy of My Enemy

**Halo 40K**

_A Halo/Warhammer 40K Crossover_

_By Freeformer_

_**All copyrights revised to Bungie Studios & Games Workshop**_

_**-**_

_**-**_

_**-**_

_**-**_

_**Sometime Ago.....**_

The cold chill of "sleep" still wore on his bones when he rushed up to the bridge. The vortex swirling in his brain was still turning, throwing him off balance has he approached his command chair. The crew didn't have time to greet him as they manned their stations and followed protocol. He quickly took his place in his all too familiar seat and watched the mayhem unfold in front of him.

"Unbelieveable." he muttered to himself.

Panic was spreading through the crew, a nightmare that was still happening even after they woke. He shouted to quiet his crew down, as much had it pained his throat. The crew immediately did as they were told, snapping to attention. The Captain had gotten them out of situations that where many times as hopeless and as dire as this.

Never the less the Captain couldn't help but rise to his feet. Warm sweat was running down the side of his forehead, even in the freezing cold of space he still felt the petrifying grasp of fear. Not wanting his crew to see their fearless Captain nervous and off the edge, he carefully removed his cap and wiped his hairline with his sleeve. Prompting his cap back on, he took his seat and asked for a sit-rep on the ship.

"Red." said one of the Ensigns commanding the controls.

"Red too." said another

"Red here also Captain."

The things he was hearing was what he feared most. The ship, while still operational was beginning to show her wounds. Her hulls were in desperate need of repair, and her weapons need rearming quickly if they were to stand a chance in the coming firefight. But essentially they were still all there, in one piece. But one horrifying fact still remained.

_She_ was gone.

It was impossible. It was her voice that told him to wake up. I couldn't be an illusion.

The concept of time no longer existed within the ship. How long they had slept? How they got _here_, in this specific location in space was still a mystery. There was no recorded data or memory of everything that had happened in the last six months.

Perhaps he thought, that was when she died. The theory was shaky at best, as she was _created_ not long ago. Something had happened to her. _Something_ had killed her. _Someone_ had killed her. But if she had been killed, how could he explain _they're_ well bring? If the killer had killed her, what was the purpose of letting the crew live? To suffer a cruel, long death marooned in space? That notion ruled out "homicide".

The mystery thickens when one probes deeper. Had she known her death was approaching? That was the only way to explain how all of them had awoken from ice simultaneously. She would had to have programed the ship's computers to do so. Perhaps she planned it all along, a last parting gift for her old ship mates.

Whatever the case, he made a better Captain then a Detective any day.

The bridge looked in awe at the sight of the planet just beyond their windows.

A world who's surface was covered with 70% cloud cover, with landmass that overtook the small number of oceans which dot around from place to place. But that wasn't why the Captain rushed to the bridge.

It was the sight of _two_ fleets, fighting amongst each other in the stars.

It was a sight the Captain had seen all too well. Steel vessels clashing with lasers and missiles, burning and twirking in the stars, lives lost, soldiers killed. But these fleets where _foreign_. It did not belong to the enemy his crew had soundly fought and defeated not so long ago. Some of them had architectural designs that where noticeably similar to the smaller ships the Captain had command prior.

_"Humans."_ the Captain said to himself.

He didn't want to toy with the lives onboard, the lives he promised to protect when he swore command.

"High alert, battles stations manned and guns loaded. All civilians relocate to ship shelters. Ensign, prepare to charge MAC batteries."

"YES CAPTAIN." the bridge said in unison.

His eyes didn't look away from the war fleets. They didn't engage them yet. Were they ignoring their location? Were they even aware that they just appeared over this planet? The databanks had no record of this planet. Could they be rebel fleets?

The Captain made a fist with his hand in disgrace. How could humanity fight amongst themselves, when an unstoppable force threatens to devour humanity whole? Both sides would be consumed, sacrificed upon the altar of religious zealots who would celebrate their extinction for centuries to come.

Barrage of missiles, lasers, and explosions filled the black canvas which was space, sparkling like small supernovas. The crew watched in silence as whole ships where cut in two, they're hulls ripped open by the exchange of fire amongst themselves. Their rays and missiles glisten as they made impact, their distant sounds of explosions able to reach the ship's crew.

The Captain had two choices to make.

"Sir, Transmission! It seems to be broadcasted throughout the planet's gravity well." snapped an Ensign.

"Patch it!" he ordered

It was an heated argument, exchanged by two males. The broadcast was distorted and hard to hear if not for the aid of the ship's computer. One of the males, who's voice was noticeably older was mocking the other one.

"He's a master orator." the Captain said to himself.

A voice of a third male lashed out at the older male, calling him a son of a bitch.

The crew listened intendedly.

"I'll see you rot in a cell for this! You'll pay for what you done!" cried a voice, likely the one they referred to with the rank of Sergeant.

The older male spoke in response, his voice more electrifying then before. It was as if he was talking to millions, rather then just two people. The fiery passion of his words matched the onslaught occuring in orbit above the planet.

"FOR GIVING MY PEOPLE PRIDE, PURPOSE? WE HAVE BUILT THIS GREAT NATION FROM NOTHING! Take me, and Helghan will dissolve into chaos! The ISA war machine, powerless against the sheer will of my people! We will choke the streets with our dead before we surrender! Your masters will beg me to restore order! YOU HAVE NOT WON! YOU WILL NEVER-"

Machine gun fire rattled the speakers.

"Rico! No!"

The words echoed for a few moments, before a weak voice spoke.

"Madness...."

There was a pause. All was quiet on the bridge.

"The madness..... begins..." said a dying voice.

The transmission ends, and begins to replay itself.

The Captain stood up. His mind was clustered with questions.

"_The ISA? Helghan?"_

His hand shot to phone next to his chair.

"This is Captain Cutter. Alpha Scout Company and Red Team report to the hanger A-SAP. You are going down there to see what the hell is going on!"

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Enemy of My Enemy**

* * *

The desert sand seemed to follow the direction of the wind, and strangely enough so did they. Yarn kept his hand on the wheel, nervous, yet excited. The green man was silent, and Yarn did not dare look back at him from where he was standing. In turn Master Chief, did not bother talking back either, his back against the wall of the yacht, arms across his chest. The only form of conversation came from Bronnx and the invisible woman known as Cortana. Ironically, the two found things very much in common with each other, in spite of their differences.

And Yarn was right. How could a complex, computerized AI like Cortana possibly find any "amusement" from talking to Bronnx, an Ogryn, who had an intellect slightly inferior to a rock? The pair seem to bond, with Cortana asking various questions about whatever that came to her mind, and with Bronnx eagerly answering.

"Interesting." Cortana said, seemingly ensnared in the Ogryn's story about his day.

The sand yacht jolted as Yarn traveled over a sand dune. The sudden motion alarmed Master Chief, who turned his head to face Yarn's back. The latter felt a tiny tingle of fear creep down his spine.

"Yarn fast down!" Bronnx said, who's large frame made it difficult for him to secure a seat.

"I'll slow down when I feel like it Ogryn!" Yarn shouted in return. Who was he to give orders to him?

"Where are you taking us?" The Chief said, finally breaking his silence.

Yarn's hands tighten on the steering wheel. He didn't have to look behind to realize he had a gun pointed to his back. The native Taronnian was used to having someone point a gun to his head in order to exact information from him. The death camps he worked in would harass their workers into providing information on any "violations" of company protocol. Violations would range from stealing precious ores to taking an extra sip of water during break. It was the company's way of destroying morale for it's workers, rendering any sense of rebellion crushed, making subjection much easier. Violators will always be met with corporal punishment.

Yarn swallowed hard as a warm bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face.

He thought very carefully about what words he was going to say. The Spartan, didn't mind the wait.

"I will answer all of your questions when we get there."

"And where is _there_ might I ask?" Cortana added, alarmed at this predicament as well.

"My home." Yarn answered, as his eyes narrowed in on his house, just a short distance away.

"Easy then chief." Cortana said, hoping that her words would loosen the tension. Master Chief was hesitant at first to drop a weapon he knew all to well, but deeming Yarn as no threat, he did so. The Chief however, wasn't so sure about the hulking mass of muscle next to him. UNSC intelligence would take a very special liking to the experiments rebels where conducting to civilians. Were the rebels trying to create Spartans themselves? It was a stretch of faith to believe both of them weren't a threat. But it wasn't the first time he and Cortana were brought into uneasy alliances with "people" they couldn't trust. And seeing how this was unfolding in front of their eyes, Chief knew it wouldn't be the last.

* * *

**Karna Krell** was expecting for the past two months now. The heavy belly she carried had promises of joy in her and her husband's lives. As a young woman, she was very lucky to have a strong husband like Yarn who took care of her. Never would she had envision the small, sandy haired boy she grew up with would one day hold her hand in marriage. It was a wonderful dream amongst the hellish world they lived in. Karna couldn't do much because of her disability. She was limited to household tasks like cleaning and cooking, while Yarn and Bronnx worked their lives away in the ore mines. All of this, was her fault. Had she not lost his father's merchant business in **Tarokeen** city along with all their money, her baby's life would be many times happier. Sitting there, Karna's memories came flushing back; she was so confident in taking up her father's shoes after he had died. This, she knew, was what _blinded_ her. At first business was booming as usual, as regular customers return to purchase her products. Her success one day allowed a group of men, whom she did not recognize inspect their product. Every since that day, her products began to decay and rot, destroying whatever reputation she and her father had had. Business never recovered, but it didn't seem like a big deal to her at the time, because Yarn had proposed to her. They were so young at the time, and they envision a beautiful future together with no boundaries. Foolishly Karna took the rest of the money she had at the time to plan a wedding, of which only the two of them attended. The act was unheard of. Only the elite within Taros could afford weddings, and even then they were usually the oil, water and ore moguls that practically ran the government of Taros. By the time she realized her mistake, her business was doomed. That night when she met up with Yarn, she weeped, saying that she singlehandedly destroyed their future, and spoke words of suicide. Without money to pay taxes on their home, they were forced to move and join the rest of the Taronnian population working at labor camps for a living. She "watched" as Yarn slowly turn into the cynical shell of the man he once was.

But Karna would never stop loving him. And Yarn would never stop loving her. Their baby was a proof of that.

With nothing to do, Karna wondered what names would fit their baby the best. If it was a boy, she believed **Yarrick** would be the best. How flattering would that be, she thought, when she told her son that he was named after the famous Imperial Commissar who fought against the Orks in not only one but two of the wars for **Armageddon**. It seemed fitting, Yarrick Krell, son of Yarn and Karna Krell. If it was a girl however.....

Karna smiled.

Yarn favored a boy, while she favored a girl. Opposing philosophy, she guessed. Yarn believe that raising their boy to be strong would allow one day for him to escape the cruel hardships they were enduring now. She wanted a girl, because she knew that one day, she wasn't going to be with him, and their daughter would have to take up her role in household. Regardless she playfully kept her girl name suggestions away from Yarn. She guessed both of them would not know until the day comes, whether faith would give them a boy or a girl. It was fun that way.

Still however, she wanted her child to grow up in a better place, a place far away from Taros. She hoped that her child would grow up not seeing the level of hatred Yarn shows to Bronnx, or the hardships of Taronnian life.

"_Funny."_ she thought. Bronnx was going to be her child's uncle. She had already decided on this happening, Yarn will not change her mind. Who could help but adore Bronnx? Maybe it's because of her disability that allowed her to see the goodness in Bronnx. Yarn was far too overprotective of her to see the Ogryn's warm heart. But one day, she believed, one day he will.

The distance humming of a sand yacht's engines startled her. She stood up, cradling her belly so has not to alarm her child as well. This was strange, it was far too early for them to come home. Was it the Company's enforcers coming to inspect their home? Karna didn't felt comfortable being alone without Yarn if they did. The horrifying stories she heard about what they did to women alone...

But what if it was something worst? What if the company decided to _terminate_ Yarn and Bronnx's employment? Karna felt her baby kick softly at the sides of her belly. _Her child even knew the danger she was in._

* * *

Yarn steaded the yacht as it pulled up to his Unit. The sudden sight of a Taronnian mining company sand yacht frighten his neighbors, who scrambled to take refuge in their own Units. Yarn was writing his own death warrant doing this. _But a better life for his wife and his child, was worth his life any day._

"I hope we are not, intruding on anyone's privacy." Cortana said, taking note of how the planet's inhabitants took to the sight of strange visitors. This would help in calculating how much resistance they would have against UNSC troops.

"You are not what they fear." Yarn said as he turned off the engine.

"It's the people who own this vessel. The people they work for that keep us up at night."

Yarn placed a careful hand on Master Chief's shoulder.

"Behind me my friend." he said as he leaped off and landed on the soft sand below.

Master Chief followed suite, and so did Bronnx, who tumbled and fell upon landing. The large Ogryn picked himself up, embarrassed. Yarn shot him a look of debrief, slapping a palm on his face.

"Don't mind him." Yarn smiled, as he led his guests into his door front.

Yarn's hand travel up to the keypad, and punched in the numbers.

The moment he did so the door slid up. His eyes only manage to get a glimpse of the object flying towards him. He barely ducked out of the way as the vase traveled down to the person behind him.

"CHIEF DON'T!" Cortana voice echoed in his helmet.

Instinctively, the Spartan leveled his weapon and fired. The round shattered the vase into pieces as a scream fill the house.

"KARNA!" Yarn's heart dropped as he rushed to his pregnant wife.

The Spartan felt a rush of emotion overcome him, for the first time in his life he felt his fingers grow weak at the feeling of a trigger.

"Please don't hurt her! She bears my child!" Yarn begged, cradling his wife in his arms. The look of fear he saw on their faces was what he imagined the civilians on Earth had when the Covenant invaded. When the Covenant and the Flood mindlessly slaughtered every man, woman and child they found. The look of terror upon the sight of a monster that can only kill on instinct. For that short moment, he was the Demon that haunt his enemies' dreams. And now that the war was over, his own kind began to see his true face as well.

"Put it down Chief!" Cortana said, trying to control the chaotic situation as best as she could.

The command to drop his weapon, was foreign to a man like him. He shot at an unarmed human being. _A human being, just like himself._

A furious roar erupted behind Master Chief as Bronnx attacked him. The Ogryn wrapped his muscular hands around him, and flung him with ease at an open window. Glass shattered into pieces as Master Chief crashed against a wall, denting its metal covering from the sheer force Bronnx had used to throw him with. He lost grip of his weapon as it flew away from his fingertips.

Bronnx lumbered in, his hulking figure shadowing the blazing sunlight that entered the doorway. Before Bronnx was unable to even move the Spartan, but after seeing him hurt one of his friends, his primal Ogryn rage broke free. The timid Bronnx was now the killing machine the Imperium had always intended him to be.

Master Chief fought of the numbness coming from his head as best as he could. The damaged MJOLNIR armor didn't provide the original level of protection it had before. Sparks marked the area of damage, as his helmet HUD was beginning to fail.

"Chief he's coming again!" Cortana warned as Bronnx charged at him. His Spartan training kicked in. Chief tackled the Ogryn to the ground, the sheer lunging force he used launching both of them across the floor. The Spartan drove his fists into the Ogryn's face, sending a couple thousand pounds of force into deformed flesh. The Ogryn lost so much as a chipped teeth as the attacks had barely any effect.

"_It's like punching starship grade armor!"_ Chief thought.

Bronnx grabbed at the Chief's throat and with one good hook, send him flying back into the wall.

"Chief-" Cortana said, her voice fading more and more as the armor took damage. His helmet's visor was cracked. The image of his enemy was distorted making concentration a lot harder without Cortana's aid.

Bronnx walked towards the Spartan again, finally showing signs of pain at the effects of his punches.

"Go for the under!" his AI advised.

The Ogryn tried to grab him again, failing as Chief dropped under and delivered a straight blow to the Ogryn's groin.

No effect.

"Oh my god, he doesn't have any!" discovered Cortana, shocked.

Rebouncing from his previous strike, the Ogryn managed to grab the Spartan by the throat and lifted him in the air, intending to crush his neck. Desperately Master Chief struggled, a hand trying to break Bronnx's hold as the other delivered swift continuous punches on the Ogryn's burgling eye. Slowly he felt his armor's neck guard give away, while Bronnx showed no signs of stopping. Master Chief coughed, the air supply coming into his body was slowly dwindling. Arching his back against the wall for support, the Spartan planted two metal boots into Bronnx's face, enough to kick the raging beast away.

A shot rung out in the room.

All eyes drew to Yarn, who held the Spartan's MA5C assault rifle. He leveled it for firing position, pointing at both of them.

"All this is getting us absolutely NO WHERE!" Yarn shouted.

Struggling to his feet, Master Chief's eyes didn't leave the sight of the weapon for any second.

"I know what you plan to do Chief. Please don't." Cortana said, knowing the Chief would try and lunge for the weapon.

Yarn's eyes narrowed as he pointed the weapon at the Chief.

"_I should kill you." _Yarn said bitterly.

Karna's hands drew towards Yarn's hips, and slowly she rose up to his side, bracing her arms around him for safety.

Quickly as she could, Cortana ran a status check on the pregnant woman. Her sensors detected no visible wounds, bruises, or internal trauma for the infant inside.

"There are no more rounds in the weapon." Chief whispered.

"I can terminate him easily and the other one if I'm quick enough."

_If only she had body, if only she was real. Only then would she be able to hold him back._

"She's unharmed Yarn!" Cortana shouted.

Yarn's eyes quickly shot over to the look of his nervous wife.

"Is she telling the truth Karna?" Yarn asked anxiously

Karna nodded, her eyes a pupiless blue.

Yarn turned to look at the Spartan again, who remained in place.

"This is all one big misunderstanding!" Cortana said, hoping her words would buy her time as she thought of a solution.

Yarn's expression remained the same, as the Ogryn behind him slowly got to his feet.

"Doesn't seem to be working Cortana. We'll try it my way!" Chief said in his COMM, clutching both his fists.

"I can kill all two of them and-"

"Please Chief no more killing."

"It's our only way!"

"DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?" Cortana shouted inside his helmet.

Her voice echoed in the chamber of his mind, haunting him.

"I see a husband and his friend, _protecting_ his wife and their unborn child, Chief."

"They are a _family_. How can you bring _yourself_ to _kill_ a family?"

The question ponder the Spartan a few quiet moments, before finally he unclutched his fists. He fell to his knees, his hands in the air in surrender.

Quietly the Spartan asked her a question, a question he really wanted answered.

"What am I _turning_ into Cortana?"

"Honestly..." she said

He waited for her response.

"_I don't know."_

* * *

Bronnx didn't know how to use the rifle when Yarn handed it to him. He was ordered to watch the two, but the grueling, aching pain from the beating he took made it very hard. In reality, Bronnx didn't want to harm his new friends. Uneasily his eyes wondered to look at Master Chief. He was bounded in the hands by a rope, on his knees helpless. In a way Bronnx felt sad for him. But not enough to free him. He almost killed Karna after all!

The Spartan didn't speak a single word as Yarn grabbed the necessary supplies.

Frantically overturning tables, opening closets and compartments, Yarn took whatever would come in handy for their journey ahead. He spare no mercy as he basically destroyed his own "house". But in a way, this Unit the Mining Company provided him was not a home in any sense of the word. It was a cage, a cage they kept his family in. He was glad to be tearing his own prison apart.

_It was the first step to his wife, his child, and his freedom._

Out of all the supplies he mustered, he had enough food and water to last two days, as well as a blanket for the chilly cold Taronnian nights. He took their identity cards as well as the small amount of money they had saved with him. It would come in handle when they get to the Capital city. When he was finished, it looked like a storm had blown through his Unit.

Yarn walked over to his wife, and gently place his hands on her cheeks. She was better now, as he guided her gaze to his. Even though his wife was blind, Yarn thought she had the prettiest eyes that he ever seen.

"Where are we going then?" she asked calmly.

"Tarokeen. The place we were meant to be in." Yarn kissed his dirty lips into his wife's wet ones. They had kissed so many times in their youth, but this one was special.

Because this one could be their last.

He placed an arm over her shoulder, and guide her to the hideous Ogryn.

"Give me the gun." Yarn ordered as he snatched the weapon out of Bronnx's hands.

He pointed at the Chief, and in a stern voice in asked him to move to the door. The Spartan did as he was told.

"Comeon Karna." Yarn said as he guided his wife out the door too.

"Me come too Yarn!" Bronnx yelled, rushing to follow him.

Instantly Yarn stopped in his tracks, and he stared at his Ogryn "friend".

"You stay where you are." He spat.

"Your kind is not plaguing my family no longer!"

Bronnx's expression hit rock bottom.

"Down ever step close to-"

Karna placed a hand on Yarn's face, and caressed it.

"Please Yarn. Let him come with us. I don't feel save without him."

Yarn thought for a moment. He did watch as Bronnx singlehandedly manhandled the green man to the floor, and held his ground against a barrage of punches. His mind thought for a moment.

"Alright _Ogryn_. You can follow us."

_"He could be perfect fodder."_ Yarn thought fiendishly.

"Thanks Yarn!" Bronnx shouted, rushing to get aboard the sand yacht, smart enough to throw down the makeshift stairs for the others.

Yarn's attention went back to the Spartan. Pointing the weapon at the back of his head, Yarn ordered him to board. He watched Master Chief's every action, careful not for a moment to let his guard down. But he wasn't worried. How dangerous could this man be? The armor he wore emitted tiny sparks every once in a while, as visible cuts and dents tore up several layers of it, exposing small bits of his flesh. This strange armored man, Yarn noted, was completely silent throughout the whole ordeal. Such lack of emotions, lack of fear, was what the Emperor looked for in his soldiers.

Yarn extended a hand to his wife.

"Lets get out of here Karna." Yarn said, smiling.

Some how Karna detected his smile, and returned the gesture with her own. The husband and wife led each other aboard the sand yacht as one of their neighbors rushed to them, seemingly outraged and scared.

"I will tell them everything! Everything! Where your going and what you are planning to do! You can't break company rules like this! You'll get all of us killed! You think those Tau would guard you because you have some prisoners and tech?!"

Yarn paused for a moment, looking at his bald headed pig faced man of a neighbor.

"If you're not ready to die for it, take the word "_freedom_" out of your vocabulary."

He gave one last hard look at him before firing up the engines.

The amount of dust kicked from the yacht's liftoff forced the man to scramble to his house, as the sand yacht traveled west, to the Capital city of Tarokeen where his family's freedom awaits.

* * *

"Never would I thought we go so low as to punch a sentient creature in the jewels!" she whispered.

Cortana's words fell on deaf ears. She was trying to be "humorous" as the current situation called for it. Never in her short life had she ever witnessed the silence the Spartan had to their current predicament. It was this silence that was unnerving to her.

The current status of the MJOLNIR armor, was to put things bluntly, _dire_. Shields were damaged beyond repair, several layers of the suit's exterior Titanium plating was compromised and the helmet's HUD was rapidly failing. But most dire all these things was the damage done to the **R.M.L.C.L**. The MJOLNIR's** Reactive Metal Liquid Crystal Layer** or RMLCL for short, was what provided the powerful enhancement to the suit's wearer when he dons the armor. Complete enhancement of strength, reflexes, and mobility was thanks to this key design in the MJOLNIR, which easily maximizes the performance of a Spartan by five folds. With this design damaged or destroyed, the Spartan mind as well fight bare naked.

Cortana also detected she was failing also. Soon she would have to revert back to her "chip state" where her entire existence was limited to the **Data Crystal Chip** Master Chief carried; a gift from Sargeant Johnson. When that happens, she would be has useful as a portable toaster.

_Even less, she thought._

Cortana had two things she could do. Diplomacy, which she tried before, and what she coins has "Aggressive Negotiations". Either way, blood was going to be spilled if they did not act here and _now_.

As far as her sensors could let her "see", miles upon miles of vast desert covered all around their vessel. She watched as they traveled the distance, sometimes in a blazing speed, and sometimes in a crawl in order to cover their tracks. It was to avoid an enemy, an enemy of which she did not know.

Master Chief did not utter a single word during their long voyage. Did her answer to his question made the Spartan realized something about himself, as a _human_ _being_? Cortana couldn't accept the belief that the Chief lost the very thing he swore to defend. All those battles and medals, she refused to believe that the Chief lost his very humanity fighting in the war to save mankind. He was just as human as the day she met him. But then she thought, how would she understand what Humanity was? How can an AI unstand what it means to be a human?

_But in a way she wanted him not to be like them. Because that would mean they are the same, and then the two of them could be-_

She stopped herself from imagining the thought. Things were meant to be like they are for a reason. A nano-second later she reeled back in fear, in cold cripping fear. Cortana caught herself in the act. Her rampancy condition was accelerating to a rate she no longer had control over. Where all these sudden feelings for him, _real_? Did she had all these feelings for him before? As she developed them after watching him endure such pain, and such sadness? Or was it just an illusion, a series of complex codes her **Riemann Matrix** was conducting during the last days of her life, a byproduct of her "problem"?

Slowly she asked herself the question her mother, Dr. Catherine Halsey, did so long. The day her mother ask her _who she thought she_ _was_.

* * *

**Reach, 2548**

* * *

Dr. Halsey sat at her office table, a datapad by her side as well as a computer laptop. The good doctor was surprisingly energized, even with the lack of sleep. She had pulled two all nighters back to back. It was a feat she had practice during her early days working for Naval Intelligence. Cortana was in front of her, displayed by a hologram projector. The Doctor remembered how her creation was so, doll like, at first laying eyes upon meaning her. Cortana was like a mannequin, unmoving, holographic eyes unblinking as her creator asked her some questions.

"I want you to imagine a desert Cortana."

"What kind of desert, Doctor? The Gobi? The Sahara?"

"Anyone of them would do."

"Then I choose the Sahara. It is Earth's hottest and largest natural desert, with an average temperature of 90 °F at noon, stretching in the length of 3,500,000 square miles."

The doctor nodded and wrote something on her datapad.

Cortana remember feeling a sensation of self fulfillment at displaying her knowledge. Even through they were on **Reach** at the time, which was roughly 10.5 light years from Earth, she still displayed her admirable skills in processing Earth's geological landscape in a mere tenth of a second, even when she never stepped a single foot on the Humanity's rock..

But her answer was not what Dr. Halsey was looking for. Her creator wanted something else as her gaze returned to Cortana.

"You are in the Sahara desert. It is blazing hot with the temperature over 100 °F and as far as you can see there are sand dunes. You are walking in the sand when all of a sudden you look down and you see a overturned tortoise. She is slowly trying to flip herself back on her belly, but it's fruitless. You watched for several minutes, as the tortoise is slowly baking in the dry sun, watching her kick her legs in the air to turn herself over, but she can't. She is beginning to slow down Cortana and she looks at you with her small, crystal clear eyes. She knows she is going to die if she can't turn herself over. And she could only do that with your help."

Dr. Halsey waited for a few seconds, taking note of how her "child" processed the scenario. A few seconds later she continued, and delivered the test.

"_But you refuse to help._ Can you explain why?"

Cortana took another several seconds to process her answer, which seemed like decades for an AI. She had no previous template answer stored in her databanks. The doctor had given her a question unique to answer.

Thus she formed an answer as equally unique as her question. It was something she came up with at that precise moment in time, at that exact place in space. She answered the question.

"Because …...I am the _Grim Reaper_."

Her tone of voice when she replied startled Dr. Halsey for a moment, clearly disturbing her, even though she tried to hide it. She said it so abrasively, as if it was _true, _with zero emotion behind her reply. But the answer shouldn't surprise her, she was Artificial after all. But out of all the flash clones she created, and the few that survive, Dr. Halsey noted only this one, Cortana, had used a personification of death to explain why she refuses to help. To her predecessors, death was something scientific for them, a natural phenomenon that all life had to endure once they were created or born into reality. They made it obvious and clear to her, that scientifically speaking a living body and a corpse had the same number of molecules, and structurally they had no difference. Some of the older models said that they refused to help was because they didn't have orders to do so from **ONI** brass; while the newer versions said they couldn't interfere with nature's natural processes. Cortana essentially arrived at the same answer as her predecessors, but she arrive in a darker fashion. She refuses to save life because that is against the role she is playing. A role she _picked_ for herself in this scenario. Does this AI, Dr. Halsey noted, have any idea of spirituality besides the information given to her? Even more importantly, how would she react when her time grows near? How would she react, to her own death?

Dr. Halsey probed farther with interest.

"Cortana, do you know what Free Will is?" Halsey asked, placing a hand on her cheek to balance her head on her desk as she admired her creation.

"Of course Doctor. Free Will was a concept pioneered by the ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus, who was born on 55 AD, old Earth calendar in Central Anatolia, which is modern day Turkey. It is the theory that living beings have the power to act freely upon internally motived actions they created for themselves, as opposed to actions that are manipulated by external forces, examples being the presences of a omnipotent, omniscient being, or the existence of Fate/Destiny."

Halsey cocked an eyebrow.

"What do you believe in Cortana?"

The AI thought for a moment, her eyes unblinking, staring into the image of her giant creator looming over her.

"Logically doctor, from all the data of historical events in my memory banks provided by you and ONI, you led me to a fair deduction of the question of Free Will."

"And whats the deduction then?"

"Statistically speaking, significant amounts of coincidental events in recorded history have occurred enough for me to to deduce that the odds of Free Will existing is slim, while the odds of an omnipotent being, like the God of Christian faith, existing, is fairly likely or at the very least more statistically possible as opposed to Free Will."

Halsey removed her glasses and rubbed at the bridge of her nose lightly. Cortana stood, providing some examples to explain her point. The Doctor listened, smiling as her "daughter" tried to convince her about the existence of a higher power. Cortana used complex calculus and algebra to prove her point, as well as quoting and referencing some philosophers of old Earth. Halsey, not a novice at such kind of topics, doubled checked her work off her head and noted she was correct. Seating there watching Cortana talking reminded Halsey how she used to sound like younger, delivering her Doctoral Thesis to her Professors as early as the age of 13. And rightfully so because Cortana was mirror image of her, a flash clone imbued with her looks and her brain. So how can her creation have such a different perspective on such a question?

"Then I guess I'm the lone sheep on this issue. But one more question Cortana." Halsey said and note how "annoyed" Cortana was getting.

"Do you believe we make our own choices in life?" Halsey said, realizing how the tone of her voice was being to breaking towards the end of her question.

"Can you please specify Doctor, what "we" is referring too? Humans or AIs?"

"Well, Cortana. What do you consider _yourself_?"

"Is this a Rampancy test Doctor?" Cortana asked, seemingly like she lost her nerves a little.

"This is an off the record genuine question a creator wants to ask her creation." Halsey said, shutting her laptop and placing her datapad aside. Military brass would not hear anything of this conversation.

"I apologize Doctor. But I consider myself an Artificial Intelligent Construct. I can not eat, smell, taste, touch or move. I have no physical body and I do not require any sleep. There is no physical way I could have influence on the world. I wasn't born due to biological mating or the results of cell testing. I am simply a series of computerized codes who's existences solely depends on the medium my holographic avatar is projected, and where the contents of my program is stored."

"But." Halsey said, standing up from her chair.

"The ancient Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotle said that the highest virtue a human being has; which sets them apart from wolves, is their ability to _Reason_. That is what I gave you Cortana."

Cortana stood, her holographic arms nervously tracing the outlines of her body. Cortana thought for a moment, and felt something switch on.

"From now on Cortana, I authorize you to call me Mother, or Mom. Anytime you want too, well the exception of course being in front of Brass." Halsey said.

"Yes Mother." Cortana smiled and Halsey did the same, leaning close to her.

"And you say Humans have no Free Will." The good doctor joked.

Cortana's expression dropped.

"Doctor do you consider me-" Her words where interrupted by a kiss from Halsey on her head.

"I consider you as my _daughter_ Cortana. Spiritually of course. Never found the right _man_ to make it otherwise." she said, chuckling, heading towards the door.

"Wait doctor-"

"We will leave it at that Cortana. But I want you to remember, and to always remember; _the flame that burns the brightest, will burn the shortest_." Halsey looked at Cortana with loving eyes.

"And you burn so, so brightly kid."

Her Mother left the office, leaving a smile on her daughter's face.

* * *

The travel time was longer then he expected. Their trail was undiscovered yet, but still Yarn didn't want to take any risks. Not with two prisoners, a pregnant wife, and a biological freak on board. His eyes stared into the magnificent sunset over the large sand dunes miles away from their locations. Yarn had never seen mountains before in his life, but he couldn't imagine that they were much taller then this. They would have to travel over these dunes if they where to make it to Tarokeen. Had they had enough time he would risk such a danger, but night was setting, and the temperature was dropping rapidly. Yarn decided to look for a spot to settle down, setting up a makeshift camp for the night without getting caught is going to be time consuming.

"Yarn it feels so good." Karna said as the cool wind blew against her long hair. The sensation was something she had forgotten, having her life limited to four compact walls for the last few years. Her mind flicker with memories of their early years in love, when both of them dreamed about escaping together hand in hand away from this barren rock. It seemed like it would happen after all, but this time they would be holding their baby's hand.

Yarn spotted a large rock formation they could hide under. The huge jagged rocks would provide not only shade but shelter from the random sand storms that pick up in the night. Quickly he positioned the ship to cover it from view. The yach hummed and settled as he quietly cut off the engines. The loud sound that followed them for hours was silent now. The sky above was a thin dark blue, and as far as he could see, no light came from anywhere but the hundreds and hundreds of silver stars above.

Karna place her hands on Yarn's muscular arm. She pulled herself closer to him, frightened.

"Why did we stop?" she asked him.

Yarn turned to look at her, and placed his rough hands on her cheeks.

"We will rest here."

The miner turned to look at Bronnx.

"Get him off the ship." Yarn ordered, referring to Master Chief.

"Yarn yes!" The Ogryn said, happy that Yarn finally gave him some work to do.

The Spartan seemed to rise up by himself, as Bronnx started to pull him up by his arms. He had trouble again trying to do so.

"We will do as you tell us." Cortana said as the Chief leaped off the yacht himself.

"Keep an eye on him." Yarn said as he grabbed the Assault rifle by his side, as well as the supplies.

Bronnx nodded and jumped too, landing just barely on two feet. Yarn followed, and afterward he helped his wife down slowly.

"Thank you." Karna said as his husband kissed her.

Yarn smiled, knowing that Karna would never get to see it and turned to the Master Chief, drawing a large knife.

"Cut him free." He order Bronnx as he threw the knife towards him. The Ogryn forgotten how to physically catch something again as the knife stabbed him in the chest. Luckily his flesh was strong enough prevent any wound as the weapon bounced off him.

"You stupid creature." Yarn said, letting his voice trailed off.

Bronnx picked up the knife, smiling a crooked smile at Yarn as he cut the rope that was restrainting the Spartan.

"Get to work!" Yarn said, pointing the rifle at Master Chief as he motioned to the supplies on the ground.

* * *

He watched as the strangers sat away from him. The fire he built frizzle in the night, crisping up the scrap wood and material Yarn took from his home. The light it created glowed from miles and miles across the desert, a lighthouse in the darkness that shallow the planet. Four large cans of baked beans and meat cooked in the open flame, as Yarn tend to them.

"Let me watch it." Karna said.

Yarn stopped her has her hands reached for the cans.

"I have it." he whispered.

Karna nodded and withdrew. Bronnx sat next to her, crossed leg position, stomach growling. The night was quiet enough even with the soft crackling of fiery embers for Yarn to hear Bronnx's hunger. His hand travel down to his canteen.

"Ogryn!" he yelled, throwing the canteen in his direction. Bronnx looked towards the direction of the canteen and in shock opened his mouth, as the canteen landed in.

"Drink." Yarn ordered, his gaze drawing away from the monster in disgust as Karna kissed his cheek for finally agreeing with her.

"Thanks Yarn!" Bronnx exclaimed, trying to unscrew the cap with difficulty as he gulped down the warm water.

"Be careful don't choke!" Karna said, listening to the long gulps.

The Spartan remained silent, having not taken a single drop of water into his system for several days now. He mediated, having learned to survive the elements of nature and the bodily needs since he was a child. The days during training when his team lost during an exercise, resulting in **Chief Petty Office Mendez** forbidding them from eating or drinking as a punishment. As a boy he didn't know how this cruelty could make him stronger, but now as he watched them drink and eat he understood.

He wanted to shake Mendez's hand. If he is alive that is.

A seemingly off guard Yarn was laughing and eating with his wife, the Spartan noted that neither of them took their eyes away from one another, even when one of them couldn't see. The assault rifle laid across Yarn's lap, just a few feet away. But still this wasn't the time for action, at least not yet. He was going to go to this, Tarokeen city, and see for himself what government the rebels had set up. Cortana reminded silent, she stopped talking a few hours when he didn't return his replies to her questions.

His eyes drew to Yarn, who tossed him a spare canteen. The miner pointed the rifle at him as he caught it in mid air.

"Drink, _but I'm watching you._" He warned. Master Chief reminded still not doing so.

In reality Yarn wanted to see who was under the helmet. Who was this strange man he wondered. He watched as the Spartan stared at him, his eyes hidden, pondering if this was a trick or not. Suddenly the Spartan placed the canteen on the ground, his hands traveled upward to his helmet.

Bronnx and Yarn unconsciously leaned forward with anticipation as the Spartan released the locks on his helmet and removed it.

Warm water filled the Spartan's dry throat as he drank, unfamiliar eyes not looking away from him when he did so.

"Why is everyone so silent?" Karna asked, nervous yet curious at the same time.

"Nothing. Just looking at him." Yarn assured her as he took in the appearance of the man named John that fell from the sky.

"Well how does he look like?" Karna whispered into Yarn's ears, leaning in.

"In the middle between me and Bronnx." Yarn said.

He had stony appearance, eyes that rarely blinked or flinched, with pale skin. His face was bruised, even under the protection of his helmet. It was also clear he didn't have the opportunity to shave for a long time. Looking into the serious eyes of the warrior across from him revealed a lot to Yarn. Even through he was a miner, he saw the same look the Spartan had shared with some of the off-world miners, former Imperial Guardsmen who were condemned and shipped off to work in the death camps of Taros. The warrior was exhausted, and Yarn, grudgingly knew the feeling. How many decades as this soldier fought under the service of the Immortal God Emperor? How did he end up here, on this **Death World**? So many questions left unanswered.

The beans began to boil, and dinner was ready.

Unafraid of getting burned, Yarn grabbed at the heated metal can with his bare hands, and extracted the food on a plate with a spoon. He gave that to his loving wife and child.

"Help yourself Ogryn. You earn your keep for now." he said, spooning a bit of food into his hunger mouth.

Bronnx happily lunged at his share of food, and in one loving gulp ate his dinner. Frowning the Ogryn wanted more as Yarn slapped his hand away when he tried to grab his share. Yarn was struggling with the thought of giving this stranger food, as Karna got up.

"Where-"

Karna carefully made her away around the fire, using her feet to detect objects as she approached the Spartan.

"Eat." she said, tone tensed, yet kind.

Yarn shot to his feet and point the rifle at the Master Chief.

"Get away from him!" he ordered.

"For Emperor's sake just let him eat, Yarn." Karna pleaded as she dropped her plate at his side.

Yarn rushed over and ripped his wife away from him.

The Spartan remained motionless.

"Forgive him. He's a little- ill mannered." said Cortana, who finally spoke again.

"I hope that is enough for the both of you." Karna said.

"Thank you, Karna. But I don't eat much." Cortana joked.

"You know my name! But I don't know yours." Karna said.

"Cortana." the AI said.

"And your male companion?" she asked curiously.

Cortana paused as the Spartan looked at her.

"For what happened..." he said.

Karna froze, not knowing what to do. Yarn held her tightly in his arms.

Bronnx looked on, taking this opportunity to steal some food for himself.

"I should have known better as a soldier to fire at unarmed civilians."

"Well." Karna later added after a brief moment of silence.

"I wasn't really unarmed wasn't I?" Karna extended her hand, fighting away from Yarn to do so. This action renewed a spark of life to Master Chief's eyes. He slowly rose to his feet and drew closer. Yarn felt his body grow tense, the adrenaline pumping. Could they really trust this man? Up close the Spartan was two heads taller then the couple.

"I don't see why we can't all be friends?" Cortana added, seemingly hiding her excitement at wanting the Chief to shake.

The Spartan held her gentle hand with his, and shake, cementing their new friendship.

"Your name?" Karna asked.

"John." He answered.

Bronnx rose to his feet and rushed at the group, holding all five of them in his huge muscular arms.

"Me join too!" Bronnx yelled, frowning at having been abandoned by his friends.

"Jolly isn't he?" Cortana said.

"I'll say." Chief added as Yarn batted Bronnx away with the rifle.

* * *

Bronnx's noisy snoring kept everyone up late into the night.

"So much for our grand victory meal huh Chief?" Cortana teased as Chief finally finished the can of beans and meat given to him.

"Its one of Taros' most expensive imports. Straight from the farming Tau system of Oh'Io." Karna said, hopping to impress their guests/prisoners.

"Where is the location of this, system?" Cortana asked, wanting to record the data for UNSC Intelligence.

"Well." Karna muttered pointing a lone finger to the sky.

"In space I supposed."

"What are the exact coordinates? Do you know?" Cortana pressed on the issue.

"Honestly, I don't know. The Imperium is so vast and far."

"Can you tell us about what this, Imperium is?"

Yarn's eyes shot over to the Spartan, as Karna countered with a question of her own.

"How can you not know what the Imperium is?" she asked.

"Your the Emperor's Space Marine..."

"What are-" Yarn couldn't finish as the Spartan swiftly grabbed the weapon away from him, leveling it back at him.

"What was that?" Karna said, alarmed.

"Nothing." Yarn lied, standing as the Spartan ordered him to do so, the barrel of an assault rifle pointed and touching at his chest. He didn't want to alarm Karna, or put her in danger at all.

"Oh great idea you guys." Cortana said, playing along.

_"Damn you Chief."_ she said to herself.

"What idea?" Karna asked

"Me and Yarn are going to scout away the perimeter a while. To make sure no one is following us." Master Chief said, trying to make his voice as gentle as possible.

"Stay here with Cortana." Yarn said, playing along when the Spartan ordered him too.

"I'll sleep when you two get back here. Be careful!" Karna said, not wanting to rest without her husband by her side. The Spartan held Yarn tightly by shoulder, and forced him to march at gun point.

"So Cortana." she said, still unaware of the danger her husband was in.

"Describe to me how you look like." she smiled, looking to the direction of Cortana's voice, which actually came from the Chief's helmet.

Master Chief made sure that they were too far away from the campsite for Yarn's scream to be heard. The last thing he wanted was for that steroid eating mutant to wrestle with him again. Once there he released Yarn and leveled the gun to his face. Yarn immediately propped his hands up in surrender, he masked his face of every single emotion he had at the time. Was this stranger going to kill him in cold blood?

"I'll give you two minutes to explain where you are taking us. Why you are taking us there. And just who the hell you really are." The Chief ordered.

The string of his voice and the aggressive movement of his weapon made Yarn flinched. He had to tell this stranger everything, not for his sake but for his family's.

"We are taking you to Tarokeen."

"What is it?" Chief snapped, his patience running thin already.

"Its a..." Yarn stuttered, the fear growing and overcome his senses.

"Its a merchant city, the largest in all of Taros. The Capital city of the Planet! Where Governor Aulis is found!"

"Who is he?"

"Hes the.... hes the Planetary Governor! Our ruler! He decides everything."

"Just like a Dictator..... Why are you taking us to him? Is there some reward for you?" Chief asked, pressing his weapon into Yarn's chest as a scare tactic. He watched as Yarn's eyes refused to look away from the gun.

"Yes, our freedom! Our passport off this world!" Yarn yelled, hoping to alert Bronnx and Karna. The Spartan smashed the butt of his weapon into Yarn's chest, almost shattering his rib cage if he wanted too. The force of the impact dropped Yarn to the ground, crutching his chest in agonizing pain, coughing violently.

"Do that again." The Spartan said, propping the weapon into fire position just above Yarn's head.

"And I _will_ kill you."

Yarn nodded, trying to fight for his breath.

The Chief waited till the coughing ease down, before asking another question. Before he had the chance to do so, Yarn continued with his previous explanation.

"Aulis and the Tau." Yarn said, coughing in between the words.

"They want technology, anything they can get, the Tau."

"Who are the Tau?" his voice suddenly changed tone.

"I've only seen them once or twice in Tarokeen. Off-worlders, aliens that want to trade with us. We aren't supposed to trade with them, but the Governor decided do so because we were so far away-" Yarn coughed.

"-so far away that the Imperium can't monitor us that well."

"What are they going to do to me when they get me?" The Spartan demanded.

"The hell do I know?" Yarn barked, rebellious even now.

"Cut you open to study your insides? Whatever makes you Space Marines so damn special! They are going to do whatever is necessary to find out!"

The Spartan paused, slightly lowering his weapon.

"What was the conversation you had before with that man before we left your home? Something about Company rules?"

"They are going to kill us! All of us! Fraking shoot us for running away. Skin us and feed us to their motors for energy!"

"Why are you a prisoner?" The Spartan asked, discovering how ironic the situation was.

"I signed a fraking contract to work for them for life! It was to support my family you fraking son of an Ork!" Yarn lost it as he attacked the Spartan, making a grab for the weapon.

The Spartan let the miner do so as he deliver a swift punch to his stomach, dropping him to the ground. Yarn was in the same position as he was before, but this time in even much, much more pain.

"Just to let you know." The Chief said as he lifted Yarn off the ground by his arm.

"This weapon is out of ammo." He looked into Yarn's face when he said it. Defiantly Yarn spat at him, blinding him for a moment. The sudden burst of rage felt by the Spartan was enough to break Yarn's arm. Yarn screamed in pain as his bones cracked so easily. He looked into his cold almost soulless eyes with fear as he lift him up again by the throat.

The Chief brought Yarn close to his face, almost daring him to pull that stunt again. But this, he gave him a proposition.

"Take us to Tarokeen, just like you originally intended. Take your damn freedom and get off this world."

"What?!" Yarn said, shocked.

"You heard me." The Chief said mockingly, starting to choke Yarn.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this. Of this Aulis, the Imperium and the damn Tau." he exclaimed as Yarn wrestle to break his hold with one hand. Yarn's eyes were bulging, fear had finally overcame him.

The Spartan released him, dropping him to the ground as the Miner desperately took in large amount of air to restore his normal breathing.

"Your _my_ ticket off this planet." Master Chief said in a haunting voice, his eyes like fire in the cold dark night.

* * *

_**In the Capital City.......**_

* * *

Governor Aulis stride swiftly to his chamber room, his bodyguards by his side. The large complex he lived in house many of his royal bloodline. Usually he would spend his late nights wondering around the place, admiring the large stone statues of his ancestors that immortalized their accomplishments. But tonight allowed for no such things. Down the large corridors he traveled, passing large Gothic style glass windows and mosaic art. From the corner of his eyes he saw the shadows of two Tau Barracudas scream by silently pass his windows.

"They shouldn't be this exposed. Some still don't know." Aulis said to himself, cursing as he flung opened the large doors.

The one they called Por'El stood waiting for him. The Tau was accompanied by another one of his kind. This one was clad state of the art Tau Battlesuit Armor, towering at almost nine feet.

"Governor." one of Aulis' bodyguards whispered.

"Keep your distance." he said, fearing that this might be a Tau assassination attempt.

"You have to forgive us for breaking with tradition and honor." Por'El said, looking to the Tau next to him.

"The Commander was unwilling to come unarmed, fearing assassination by _your_ men." the Tau joked.

"They will be no such thing while my heart still beats." Aulis said, pushing his bodyguards away from him.

"I would like to introduce you to Shas'O R'Myr, of the Tau Fire Castle. The chosen Commander by the Ethereals to lead the steward defense of your planet." Por'El proclaimed, stepping back as R'Myr lumbered forward.

Aulis approached him, even against the warnings of his own bodyguards and extended a quiet hand to the Tau.

R'Myr stood there for a few moments, before stepping back, refusing to take Aulis' hand.

"You have to forgive the Shas'O. He is, unaccustomed to human traditions and cultures."

Indeed this was the first time the Shas'O as come into contact with the Gue'la in a peaceful matter. Still the feeling of mutual distrust fill the chamber room as Aulis let his hand fall to his side.

"Can your commander communicate in Gothic?" Aulis asked, wanting to know if he was going to work alongside a mute alien.

"I understand every single word you say Governor." R'Myr said.

"Your Gue'la speak is well." Aulis praised, knowing the term Gue'la was used as an insult for humans.

"As is your Tau Governor." R'Myr praised in return, smirking under the cover of his Battlesuit.

"When can we expect the full protection of the Fire Castle Army?" Aulis asked, knowing the meeting, and the safety of his planet, still undecided.

"The blunt of our war fleet orbits a nearby star of your of a system close to your location. They will wait upon my orders to approach the planet."

"Why is that?!" Aulis said, outrage at seemingly being double crossed.

"Why Governor?" R'Myr said, asking a question in return.

"Because our probes detected a Space Marine strike force closing in on your planet. We calculate it will be two days before they touch down upon the surface."

Aulis and his bodyguards stepped back in stunned silence, a fear crawling deep into their skin that can only be caused by the Emperor's divine Angels of Death.

"I will not compromise the safety of my warriors and the surprise advantage we hold over them. Not for you or your planet."

Aulis' face grew red as Por'El stepped in.

"You can't go against the Ethereal's words! You are-"

"A mere diplomat of the Water Castle do not know of such matters that involves our Castle." R'Myr stated, attacking any words of treason placed upon him by Por'El.

"But I do." said a voice on R'Myr's COMM.

R'Myr's slight shift in demeanor alert Por'El to who was talking to him.

"Honorable Aun'Vre!" Por'El said smiling, turning on the transmitter on his wrist.

"I am currently on route to the planet's surface to meet with you Governor. Kindly wait for me." said Aun'Vre before shutting off.

"Who is that?" asked Aulis.

"Aun'Vre is the highest authority on this mission. Even I, must bow to the Enlightenment he wields over us." R'Myr states, turning to face Aulis.

"And so must you if you want your planet and your people to survive."

R'Myr's words of warning echoed in the chamber room, changing the destiny of all who live and will live on Taros.

Aulis smiled warmly.

"Like they say, never trust an alien."

"Funny." R'Myr said.

_"We say the same for you."_


	6. Chapter 4: The Might of His Imperium PrV

**Halo 40K**

_A Halo/Warhammer 40K Crossover_

_By Freeformer_

_**All copyrights revised to Bungie Studios & Games Workshop**_

* * *

The Pelican cut through the thick clouds, its engines blazing as the distant roar of laser cannons drowned them out. Navigating through the planet's hell storms took more time then excepted. Making the entry seem silent and swift, was almost impossible had it not been for the battle raging above in the stars. The rust colored sky came into view as the crew finally saw what they were about to encounter. The city below them shook and burned from a war unknown. Had the Covenant developed some kind of mind control that they used on Humanity so they can kill one another? The pilot reported his findings to Captain Cutter, flipping a series of switches to stabilize the Pelican's speed and angle of entry. Standing behind him in cold silence was the phantom like gaze of the UNSC's super soldiers. He never got use to being around them, even when he knew they were the good guys. Before he could say anything, his co-pilot pointed to the Pelican's radar.

"It looks like the rest of Eaglet 1 has penetrated the atmosphere without any problems." She said in a relieved voice. His co-pilot was referring to the scout team sent by the Captain to investigate the situation. Eaglet 1 composed of four pelican drops ships carrying half of Team Omega along with a squad of Marines. The rest of the Spirit of Fire's security force would remain stationed in high orbit, fingers and toes crossed hoping we did not drag ourselves into this strange series of events.

"Everything is looking green according to my sensors." he replied.

"We still haven't been detected."

The designated LZ was chosen from a series of orbital pictures taken for space. Initially the Spirit of Fire's sensors were damaged from the Battle of the Apex. The supernova explosion had taken out some of the ship's delicate observation instruments. On board engineers had tried to do their best within the 16 hour timeframe given to them for repairs. The pictures, although not the best, revealing something frighten. Beneath the thick cloud cover of the planet, laid a series of networks arranged in grid like patterns. This only meant one thing.

Cities.

A large concentration of radiation was detected on particular section of the planet, even through the planet itself had above normal levels of it. Still Cutter gave the orders. The Captain need to know what the hell was going on and fast. The Spirit of Fire remained lucky, as she was still undetected from the raging battle in space. Quietly she maneuvered herself to the darkside of one of the planet's moons, and hid there. The crew scrambled to bring the ship back to operational capacity, desperately trying to bring back the weapon system online, as well as conserve power, as fuel was beginning to run dangerously thin.

So this is where Eaglet 1 comes into play. Their mission was straight forward. Probe the planet for any allies or Covenant, along with any supply of fuel they can muster. Quickly ferry as much as they can under the noses of the planetary inhabitants as possible. Repeat until full. A quick strike in and out. If in dire situations, Cutter would order the Spirit to enter the planet's atmosphere and take the fuel by force. After that the third phase would follow, which is to enter slipspace on course to Reach. This part of space was uncharted by UNSC's scientists, and it was no telling what dangers lurked.

The pilot eased on his controls, leveling the Pelican. In the distance, the faint shape of a mining complex was coming into view. Surrounded by geographical features like rocks and cliffs, the complex was largely isolated for the city chose by it, but chose enough for Team Omega to move during one day. Their mission was espionage. Gather as much information on both combatants and return. Spartan's were made for stealth.

The pilot felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"That cliff over there." pointed one of the Spartans.

"Drop off over there."

His voice sent chills running down the pilot's spine. Even through he knew they were the good guys, he couldn't help but think of them as freaks. His cold, metallic voice didn't say anything else as he retreated back to check on his team.

"You okay there?" she whispered.

He looked at her tender smile, as she flipped up her visor. Her blues eyes and loose strains of blonde hair smiled at him too.

"Yeah. It's just that they give me the cheeps." he whispered back.

Her smile turned into a sly smirk.

"Don't piss on your pants. This bird doesn't have a bathroom."

His ear's heard the cocking of a M90 MK I shotgun. Curiously eyes peered at the corner of his eyes and he saw a Spartan loading his shells into his gun. The Spartans had brought along an impressive array of weaponry, typical of urban insertion missions like this. One of them had a SRS99C-S2 AM high caliber sniper rifle, the gun that would punch holes through tank armor, strapped over his shoulders. Another carried a duel SMG's holstered on both arms, as well as a SPNKr Rocket Launcher he held in his hands, as if it was a tiny infant.

"Don't you think that's a bit heavy for espionage?" he said off hand by mistake.

Team Omega didn't response, as they stuff dozens of frag grenades into compartments in their suits.

"Just saying, because I'm worried about all that heavy gear you guys are carrying. It will slow you down."

They didn't response.

The Mining Complex was just below them as a voice broke through the radio.

"Pelican 1 this is Pelican 2, we are going to circle around the rocky cliffs to drop off spotters, as well as reconnaissance. Pelican 3 and 4 are preceding as normal."

"Sounds good 2." his co-pilot said, her fingers pressing a series of buttons. The roaring of the engines soon turned into a hissing as the pelican descended. He relaxed as he steady the ship, hovering just slightly over ground as the loading hatch opening.

He spun around, hoping to here the words "Go! Go! Go!" as Marines would yelled every time he took them anywhere. By the time his head turned completely, Team Omega was already gone.

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 4: The Might Of His Imperium (Preview)**

_**

* * *

**_

_**Present**_

_**The Eastern Fringe**_

_**Onboard the Strike Cruiser, **__**Proxima Justus**_

* * *

It was an old ritual of war, a ritual coveted by every Space Marine chapter ever created by the Emperor of Mankind. Captain Armaros, in his long life had only seen it invoked three times. By his side the Techmarine Tybolt, along with First Company Chaplain Baraqel stood motionless as the giant ceramite doors before them opened. A mist of freeze gas spread out into the corridor as Armaros stepped in. The large hanger-like room was dark, same for the few senors and instruments that lid up the room in an array of colors. Its was freezing death to a normal human, but to the Imperium's Space Marines, they never felt a thing. At the center of the room was a dome-like structure tinted in black.

"When was the last time the two had awaken?" Armaros asked, his eyes pleased at what he saw.

"Nearly half a century ago, when the Chapter was deployed in the Antillis IV campaign."

Baraqel's eyes darken at the mention of Antillis IV. The campaign was a great dishonor.

"Surely their fury is still contained within them." the Chaplain said, swinging his heavy Crozius Arcanum upon his shoulders. Unlike most Chaplain's weapon, Baraqel's Crozius Arcanum took on the shape of the Chapter symbol, a mighty Cross. He wield it with great effectiveness, crushing the heads of Heretics and Xenos alike, striking rock and machine alike apart. The Emperor's faith is spread through a Crozius Arcanum first before all else.

"Lets hope of that Brother." Captain Armaros said as he shot a look towards Tybolt. Techmarine Tybolt was reverend in his respect to all things machine, bolder-lining at times to fanaticism. He saw life in a Machine has much has a mother see life in her new born child. Four hands protruded out of his back along with the normal ones, none of which was his anymore.

"Have our Techmarines prepare these two for the coming battle. You have two days. It will be good for the two of them to hear the prayers of war again."

Tybolt nodded, his bionic eye rotating with a sharp mechanical tink.

"Yes Brother Captain." The Techmarine said, manipulating his hands in various instruments and tools.

"Brother Baraqel see with me to the forge. We have much to inspect." The two of them left the room, leaving Tybolt alone to attend the sleeping giants. Tybolt wouldn't have it in anyway.

The Avenging Sons' Second Company was allowed to field a small attachment of the Chapter's greatest warriors ever to prove themselves in the field of Battle. Armaros walked through their ranks as each of them stood like statues, small giants in their own right. These Space Marines were to be promoted to Commander if ever called upon by the Chapter Master. Their rank was clear from the armor they wore, and the instruments they used to wage war to the enemy. These were what the Avenging Sons were proud to call their greatest.

The First Company's Terminator Veterans were ready to rip the cancer out of Taros with their bare hands. Terminator armor was the one of finest technologies ever invented by Mankind. As such, ever since the Horus Heresy, and the creation of the Imperium, such a craft was lost. Only the most gifted and ancient Techpriests of the Imperium can even attempt to construct such wonders. Because of this, upon death, a Terminator Veteran's armor would be stripped of his corpse, and bestowed upon another. The greatest strike to every be dealt to a Chapter was losing suit of Terminator armor. It meant losing a part of the Chapter's heritage, and worst, the favor of the Emperor.

"First Company!" thundered Armaros as he stood in front of them. Has tall has Armaros was, every Terminator was at least two heads taller as they came to life, eyes glowing fiery red.

"Hear me Champions! In two days! You will be with me during the assault. We will be the first to enter the Palace and administered our Chapter's vengeance on any Traitor that stand before us. Redemption is between them and the Emperor! We are the messengers of that! Their Bolter fire and hate we will scourge this filth from our galaxy forever!"

The First Company rattled their war cry.

Armaros turned away, his eyes already filled with triumph. With such a force behind him, how can victory not be achieved? He turned back to look at Chaplain Baraqel.

Along time ago he was quite handsome. He had hair that shined like the Emperor's Golden Throne and face that was tranquil has the blue ocean world he hailed from has a boy. Since Baraqel took on the black mantle of the Emperor's faith nearly five centuries ago, his face no longer resembled the timid and humorous boy Armaros knew at the Scout Corps. A Chaos champion had driven a power fist into Baraqel's head, driving it through his helm and into his face. Thinking of that incident Armaros forgot when it happened, it was a long time ago, but he suspected Baraqel would not forget. When the Chaos Champion ripped his fist away from Baraqel's face, he had hoped to had tore off the Chaplain's brain and smear it on his bloody armor to show his Gods. But he was wrong. Has the Champion gloated and bolstered, Baraqel's silent rage was unleashed. He swung his mighty Crozius Arcanum and imbedded into the Chaos Champion's armor like it was made of wood. Has the Champion felt, Baraqel's metal boot was there to meet him, has he stomped on the Champion's face. Has his enemy imbedded his fist permanently onto his face, Baraqel did the same with his boot. In total silence the Chaplain wretched free his mace and drove into the Champion's laughing face until it was mush. When Armaros and an attachment of his men finally caught up with Baraqel, all they saw was a big, black hole at the center of where Baraqel face was supposed to be, has blood ushered out of it like a bloody womb. Baraqel was silent and standing on both feet, his black armor and righteous mace sticky with blood. Has the battle was over, and the Chapter returned to their Battle Barge vicious, only then did Baraqel remove his helmet for the Apothecaries to survey his wounds. His nose and upper lip was caved into his face, leaving the bare white of his skull and teeth in their place. It was then the Chapter knew they weren't staring at the maimed face of a man, so much has they were at that of a devoted guard to the God Emperor's wrath.

Baraqel stared back at his Brother.

"Have something to say ugly?" he smiled a crooked smile.

* * *

Solitude was one of the things a Space Marine didn't know what to do. Marines did not require beds nor any meaningless attachments to the past like pictures or books. All that could be found in Captain Armaros' quarters was his personal wargear and the Chapter's Standard. His Artificer armor stood encased as he drew towards it. The golden armor bore deep incursions and dents, all received in combat by foes. Alone, Armaros finally had a chance to drift back, to the day he won that armor.

It was on moon, on some backwater planet in Ultima Segmentum. It was so unimportant to the Imperium they didn't bother naming it. The Proxima Justus was just finished escorting a new planetary governor to his new seat of rule when they picked up a distress beacon. It was a trap has they descended on the moon. There he met a Champion of the Emperor's Children, or has far has his fellow Space Marines were concerned, called them the whores of Slaanesh. Armaros' eyes drew over to the sword that was hug on the far wall just over his desk. It was the scattered remnants of his old weapon, a power sword that bore the name White Bane.


End file.
